Effectiveness of manual therapies: the UK evidence report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leininger Brent

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The purpose of this report is to provide a succinct but comprehensive summary of the scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of manual treatment for the management of a variety of musculoskeletal and non-musculoskeletal conditions. Methods The conclusions are based on the results of systematic reviews of randomized clinical trials (RCTs, widely accepted and primarily UK and United States evidence-based clinical guidelines, plus the results of all RCTs not yet included in the first three categories. The strength/quality of the evidence regarding effectiveness was based on an adapted version of the grading system developed by the US Preventive Services Task Force and a study risk of bias assessment tool for the recent RCTs. Results By September 2009, 26 categories of conditions were located containing RCT evidence for the use of manual therapy: 13 musculoskeletal conditions, four types of chronic headache and nine non-musculoskeletal conditions. We identified 49 recent relevant systematic reviews and 16 evidence-based clinical guidelines plus an additional 46 RCTs not yet included in systematic reviews and guidelines. Additionally, brief references are made to other effective non-pharmacological, non-invasive physical treatments. Conclusions Spinal manipulation/mobilization is effective in adults for: acute, subacute, and chronic low back pain; migraine and cervicogenic headache; cervicogenic dizziness; manipulation/mobilization is effective for several extremity joint conditions; and thoracic manipulation/mobilization is effective for acute/subacute neck pain. The evidence is inconclusive for cervical manipulation/mobilization alone for neck pain of any duration, and for manipulation/mobilization for mid back pain, sciatica, tension-type headache, coccydynia, temporomandibular joint disorders, fibromyalgia, premenstrual syndrome, and pneumonia in older adults. Spinal manipulation is not effective for asthma and

Resource List--Using Evidence-Based Programs as the Foundation of Comprehensive Sex Education

Science.gov (United States)

Advocates for Youth, 2015

2015-01-01

Decades of research have identified dozens of programs that are effective in helping young people reduce their risk for pregnancy, HIV, and STDs. These evidence-based programs utilize strategies that include the provision of accurate, honest information about abstinence as well as contraception and can serve as the foundation for comprehensive sex…

How Does Procedural Fairness Affect Performance Evaluation System Satisfaction? (Evidence from a UK Police Force

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sholihin Mahfud

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates whether, and if so, how procedural fairness affects performance evaluation system satisfaction in a UK Police Force. Employing a survey method with samples of detective inspectors and detective chief inspectors with significant managerial responsibilities in a UK Police Force, this study finds that procedural fairness affects performance evaluation system satisfaction. Further analysis reveals that the effect of procedural fairness on performance evaluation system satisfaction is mediated by trust. This study provides empirical evidence on how procedural fairness affects performance evaluation system satisfaction. The results of this study may benefit the designer of performance evaluation systems in police organizations.

The curator/patron: Foundations and contemporary art

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rebecca Coates

2008-12-01

Full Text Available This article addresses the role of private foundations in commissioning site-specific ephemeral art works: contemporary art projects of a temporary nature that are realised outside of public institutions. Though small in number, I argue that the private individuals creating and managing private foundations of this nature demonstrate a new form of patronage, creating in the process a new role of ‘curator/patron’. Equally, this process of realisation reflects the changing needs of contemporary art practice. Work of this scale and ambition would increasingly not be possible without the vision, perseverance and funding of these kinds of foundation. In Australia, this trend is demonstrated by two foundations: Kaldor Art Projects, and their commissioning of works by artists such as Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Gilbert & George and Jeff Koons; and the more recently formed Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation, whose first project was with Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. In this article, these examples are placed within the broader international context of foundation models such as Artangel, UK, Fondazione Nicola Trussardi, Milan, and The Public Art Fund, New York.

Poverty and child health in the UK: using evidence for action.

Science.gov (United States)

Wickham, Sophie; Anwar, Elspeth; Barr, Ben; Law, Catherine; Taylor-Robinson, David

2016-08-01

There are currently high levels of child poverty in the UK, and for the first time in almost two decades child poverty has started to rise in absolute terms. Child poverty is associated with a wide range of health-damaging impacts, negative educational outcomes and adverse long-term social and psychological outcomes. The poor health associated with child poverty limits children's potential and development, leading to poor health and life chances in adulthood. This article outlines some key definitions with regard to child poverty, reviews the links between child poverty and a range of health, developmental, behavioural and social outcomes for children, describes gaps in the evidence base and provides an overview of current policies relevant to child poverty in the UK. Finally, the article outlines how child health professionals can take action by (1) supporting policies to reduce child poverty, (2) providing services that reduce the health consequences of child poverty and (3) measuring and understanding the problem and assessing the impact of action. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

The hydroclimatology of UK droughts: evidence from newly recovered and reconstructed datasets from the late 19th century to present

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, K. A.; Hannaford, J.; Bloomfield, J.; McCarthy, M.; Parry, S.; Barker, L. J.; Svensson, C.; Tanguy, M.; Marchant, B.; McKenzie, A.; Legg, T.; Prudhomme, C.

2017-12-01

While the UK is regarded as a wet country, it has periodically suffered from major droughts which have caused serious environmental and societal impacts. Parts of the UK are water stressed and, in a warming world, changes to supply/demand balances could have major implications. There is a pressing need for improved tools for drought risk assessment, which is contingent on a proper understanding of past occurrence of droughts. However, our understanding of hydrological drought occurrence is grounded in the post-1960 period when most UK river flow and groundwater records commenced. As such, water resources planners would benefit from a more thorough assessment of historical drought characteristics and their variability. The multi-disciplinary `Historic Droughts' project thus aims to rigorously characterise droughts in the UK back to the 1890s to inform improved drought management. The foundation of this is a comprehensive characterisation of the hydroclimatology of UK droughts. Here, we present the results of this initiative, based on a hydrological reconstruction campaign of unparalleled scope and detail. Driven by rainfall and potential evapotranspiration data, extended in time using newly recovered observational records, hydro(geo)logical models are used to reconstruct, back to 1890, river flows for >300 catchments across the UK, and groundwater levels from >50 boreholes. The reconstructions are derived within a state-of-the-art modelling framework which allows a comprehensive assessment of uncertainty. A suite of indicators are then applied to these datasets to identify and characterise drought events, integrating precipitation, evapotranspiration, streamflow and groundwater. The work provides new insights into the spatial and temporal dynamics of hitherto poorly quantified late 19th and early 20th century droughts. Similarly, the assessment of temporal variability of drought characteristics benefits from the long timescale of the reconstructions, in turn

Cost viability of 3D printed house in UK

Science.gov (United States)

Tobi, A. L. Mohd; Omar, S. A.; Yehia, Z.; Al-Ojaili, S.; Hashim, A.; Orhan, O.

2018-03-01

UK has been facing housing crisis due to the rising price of the property on sale. This paper will look into the viability of 3D printing technology as an alternative way for house construction on UK. The analysis will be carried out based on the data until the year of 2014 due to limited resources availability. Details cost breakdown on average size house construction cost in UK were analysed and relate to the cost viability of 3D printing technology in reducing the house price in UK. It is found that the 3D printing generates saving of up to around 35% out of total house price in UK. This cost saving comes from the 3D printed construction of walls and foundations for material and labour cost.

The Social Construction of Young People within Education Policy: Evidence from the UK's Coalition Government

Science.gov (United States)

Brooks, Rachel

2013-01-01

Since assuming power in May 2010, the UK's Coalition government has devoted considerable energy to formulating its policies with respect to young people. Evidence of this can be found in "Positive for youth: a new approach to cross-government policy for young people aged 13-19", a policy text that outlines a wide range of measures to be…

Neurobiological Foundations of Acupuncture: The Relevance and Future Prospect Based on Neuroimaging Evidence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lijun Bai

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Acupuncture is currently gaining popularity as an important modality of alternative and complementary medicine in the western world. Modern neuroimaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, and magnetoencephalography open a window into the neurobiological foundations of acupuncture. In this review, we have summarized evidence derived from neuroimaging studies and tried to elucidate both neurophysiological correlates and key experimental factors involving acupuncture. Converging evidence focusing on acute effects of acupuncture has revealed significant modulatory activities at widespread cerebrocerebellar brain regions. Given the delayed effect of acupuncture, block-designed analysis may produce bias, and acupuncture shared a common feature that identified voxels that coded the temporal dimension for which multiple levels of their dynamic activities in concert cause the processing of acupuncture. Expectation in acupuncture treatment has a physiological effect on the brain network, which may be heterogeneous from acupuncture mechanism. “Deqi” response, bearing clinical relevance and association with distinct nerve fibers, has the specific neurophysiology foundation reflected by neural responses to acupuncture stimuli. The type of sham treatment chosen is dependent on the research question asked and the type of acupuncture treatment to be tested. Due to the complexities of the therapeutic mechanisms of acupuncture, using multiple controls is an optimal choice.

Representation and misrepresentation of scientific evidence in contemporary tobacco regulation: a review of tobacco industry submissions to the UK Government consultation on standardised packaging.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Selda Ulucanlar

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Standardised packaging (SP of tobacco products is an innovative tobacco control measure opposed by transnational tobacco companies (TTCs whose responses to the UK government's public consultation on SP argued that evidence was inadequate to support implementing the measure. The government's initial decision, announced 11 months after the consultation closed, was to wait for 'more evidence', but four months later a second 'independent review' was launched. In view of the centrality of evidence to debates over SP and TTCs' history of denying harms and manufacturing uncertainty about scientific evidence, we analysed their submissions to examine how they used evidence to oppose SP.We purposively selected and analysed two TTC submissions using a verification-oriented cross-documentary method to ascertain how published studies were used and interpretive analysis with a constructivist grounded theory approach to examine the conceptual significance of TTC critiques. The companies' overall argument was that the SP evidence base was seriously flawed and did not warrant the introduction of SP. However, this argument was underpinned by three complementary techniques that misrepresented the evidence base. First, published studies were repeatedly misquoted, distorting the main messages. Second, 'mimicked scientific critique' was used to undermine evidence; this form of critique insisted on methodological perfection, rejected methodological pluralism, adopted a litigation (not scientific model, and was not rigorous. Third, TTCs engaged in 'evidential landscaping', promoting a parallel evidence base to deflect attention from SP and excluding company-held evidence relevant to SP. The study's sample was limited to sub-sections of two out of four submissions, but leaked industry documents suggest at least one other company used a similar approach.The TTCs' claim that SP will not lead to public health benefits is largely without foundation. The tools of Better

Representation and misrepresentation of scientific evidence in contemporary tobacco regulation: a review of tobacco industry submissions to the UK Government consultation on standardised packaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Ulucanlar, Selda; Fooks, Gary J; Hatchard, Jenny L; Gilmore, Anna B

2014-03-01

Standardised packaging (SP) of tobacco products is an innovative tobacco control measure opposed by transnational tobacco companies (TTCs) whose responses to the UK government's public consultation on SP argued that evidence was inadequate to support implementing the measure. The government's initial decision, announced 11 months after the consultation closed, was to wait for 'more evidence', but four months later a second 'independent review' was launched. In view of the centrality of evidence to debates over SP and TTCs' history of denying harms and manufacturing uncertainty about scientific evidence, we analysed their submissions to examine how they used evidence to oppose SP. We purposively selected and analysed two TTC submissions using a verification-oriented cross-documentary method to ascertain how published studies were used and interpretive analysis with a constructivist grounded theory approach to examine the conceptual significance of TTC critiques. The companies' overall argument was that the SP evidence base was seriously flawed and did not warrant the introduction of SP. However, this argument was underpinned by three complementary techniques that misrepresented the evidence base. First, published studies were repeatedly misquoted, distorting the main messages. Second, 'mimicked scientific critique' was used to undermine evidence; this form of critique insisted on methodological perfection, rejected methodological pluralism, adopted a litigation (not scientific) model, and was not rigorous. Third, TTCs engaged in 'evidential landscaping', promoting a parallel evidence base to deflect attention from SP and excluding company-held evidence relevant to SP. The study's sample was limited to sub-sections of two out of four submissions, but leaked industry documents suggest at least one other company used a similar approach. The TTCs' claim that SP will not lead to public health benefits is largely without foundation. The tools of Better Regulation

Wind-induced transmission tower foundation loads. A field study-design code comparison

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Savory, E. [Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Western Ontario, London, Ont. (Canada); Parke, G.A.R.; Disney, P.; Toy, N. [School of Engineering, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH (United Kingdom)

2008-06-15

This paper presents a comparison between the wind-induced foundation loads measured on a type L6 transmission line tower during a field study in the UK and those computed using the UK Code of Practice for lattice tower and transmission line design (BS8100). In this work, the Code provisions have been generalised to give the wind-induced strain in each of the tower legs immediately above the foundation as a function of wind direction and wind speed at the top of the tower. The complete data set from the field monitoring has been decomposed to provide a similar formulation for comparison purposes. The analysis shows excellent agreement between the Code calculations and the measured results, within the overall accuracy of the field data. This indicates that, at least for the tower type examined here, the existing design Code provides a reliable transformation of the local wind speed at the top of the tower into tension and compression loads on the foundations. (author)

Female Directors and Firm Performance: Evidence from UK Listed Firms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pananda Pasaribu

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The impact of female directors on firm performance has lacked consistency in the previously conducted empirical studies, which may be due to the endogeneity problem, or certain characteristics (i.e. governance, industry, competition. This study examines the relationship between female directors and firm performance by addressing those problems. This study analyses all non-financial UK listed firms during the period 2004-2012 and employs several econometric models. The regression results indicate that there is little evidence that female directors have a positive and strong relationship with firm performance. But, further analysis reports that the UK’s small listed firms experience a positive significant effect, because small firms do not suffer from the problem of over-monitoring and they have more flexibility in composing their boards of directors.

The development of the UK National Institute of Health and Care Excellence evidence-based clinical guidelines on motor neurone disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliver, David; Radunovic, Aleksandar; Allen, Alexander; McDermott, Christopher

2017-08-01

The care of people with motor neuron disease/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is often complex and involves a wide multidisciplinary team approach. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the UK has produced an evidence based guideline for the management of patients. This has made recommendations, based on clear evidence or consensus discussion. The evidence is often limited and areas for further research are suggested.

Alcohol industry influence on UK alcohol policy: A new research agenda for public health.

Science.gov (United States)

Hawkins, Benjamin; Holden, Chris; McCambridge, Jim

2012-09-01

The British government has been criticised for according industry interests too much weight in alcohol policy-making. Consequently, it has been argued that alcohol strategy in the UK is built around policies for which the evidence base is weak. This has clear implications for public health. The purpose of this commentary is to map recent developments in UK alcohol policy and related debates within the alcohol policy literature, thus laying the foundations for a systematic examination of the influence of the alcohol industry on alcohol policy. It highlights the changing structure of the industry and summarises what is known about the positions and strategies of industry actors towards alcohol policy. In so doing, it aims to contribute not just to debates about alcohol policy, but to a broader understanding of health policy processes and the relationships between government and other stakeholders. It advances a new research agenda focused on the role of corporate actors in the field of alcohol policy and public health more broadly.

Special relativity - the foundation of macroscopic physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dixon, W.G.

1978-01-01

This book aims to show that an understanding of the basic laws of macroscopic systems can be gained more easily within relativistic physics than within Newtonian physics. The unity of dynamics, thermodynamics and electromagnetism under the umbrella of special relativity is examined under chapter headings entitled: the physics of space and time, affine spaces in mathematics and physics, foundations of dynamics, relativistic simple fluids, and, electrodynamics of polarizable fluids. (U.K.)

The effect of fossil energy and other environmental taxes on profit incentives for change in an open economy: Evidence from the UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Webster, Allan; Ayatakshi, Sukanya

2013-01-01

This paper argues that the underlying supply and demand analysis of fossil energy and other environmental taxes needs further elaboration when a country (a) introduces national fossil energy or environmental taxes and (b) is open to international trade at given world prices. We provide evidence that such conditions are plausible for many sectors in the UK. A key implication is that the short run effects of such taxes should not be felt in final good prices, since these are determined in world markets, but in terms of underlying profitability. These changes in underlying profits provide two key incentives for producers—to change to more environmentally friendly production techniques and to switch resources to production of less environmentally harmful goods. Using input—output techniques we provide evidence for the UK to show how existing fossil energy and other “green” taxes have affected underlying profitability. The evidence shows quite strong profit incentives to shift resources from a small number of energy intensive industries to others. - Highlights: • Energy taxes affect profits more than prices for sectors trading at world prices. • This study suggests that many sectors in the UK satisfy these conditions. • Our evidence suggests that few sectors are strongly affected by energy taxes. • Energy taxes have a strong effect relative to other possible environmental taxes

PLAB and UK graduates' performance on MRCP(UK) and MRCGP examinations: data linkage study

OpenAIRE

McManus, I. C.; Wakeford, R.

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVES: To assess whether international medical graduates passing the two examinations set by the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB1 and PLAB2) of the General Medical Council (GMC) are equivalent to UK graduates at the end of the first foundation year of medical training (F1), as the GMC requires, and if not, to assess what changes in the PLAB pass marks might produce equivalence. DESIGN: Data linkage of GMC PLAB performance data with data from the Royal Colleges of Phys...

Representation and Misrepresentation of Scientific Evidence in Contemporary Tobacco Regulation: A Review of Tobacco Industry Submissions to the UK Government Consultation on Standardised Packaging

Science.gov (United States)

Ulucanlar, Selda; Fooks, Gary J.; Hatchard, Jenny L.; Gilmore, Anna B.

2014-01-01

Background Standardised packaging (SP) of tobacco products is an innovative tobacco control measure opposed by transnational tobacco companies (TTCs) whose responses to the UK government's public consultation on SP argued that evidence was inadequate to support implementing the measure. The government's initial decision, announced 11 months after the consultation closed, was to wait for ‘more evidence’, but four months later a second ‘independent review’ was launched. In view of the centrality of evidence to debates over SP and TTCs' history of denying harms and manufacturing uncertainty about scientific evidence, we analysed their submissions to examine how they used evidence to oppose SP. Methods and Findings We purposively selected and analysed two TTC submissions using a verification-oriented cross-documentary method to ascertain how published studies were used and interpretive analysis with a constructivist grounded theory approach to examine the conceptual significance of TTC critiques. The companies' overall argument was that the SP evidence base was seriously flawed and did not warrant the introduction of SP. However, this argument was underpinned by three complementary techniques that misrepresented the evidence base. First, published studies were repeatedly misquoted, distorting the main messages. Second, ‘mimicked scientific critique’ was used to undermine evidence; this form of critique insisted on methodological perfection, rejected methodological pluralism, adopted a litigation (not scientific) model, and was not rigorous. Third, TTCs engaged in ‘evidential landscaping’, promoting a parallel evidence base to deflect attention from SP and excluding company-held evidence relevant to SP. The study's sample was limited to sub-sections of two out of four submissions, but leaked industry documents suggest at least one other company used a similar approach. Conclusions The TTCs' claim that SP will not lead to public health benefits is largely

Foundation Ownership, Reputation, and Labour

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Børsting, Christa Winther; Thomsen, Steen

2017-01-01

of profitability and growth, despite lacking governance mechanisms such as profit incentives or takeover threats. Given their non-profit ownership, they might be expected to behave more responsibly towards stakeholders, such as employees or customers (Hansmann, 1980), but so far there has been little empirical...... ratings. Secondary evidence on labour market behaviour is consistent with these findings. Using matched employer–employee data we show that foundation-owned companies are more stable employers, pay their employees better, and keep them for longer. Altogether, the evidence indicates that foundation...

The evidence-based practice profiles of academic and clinical staff involved in pre-registration nursing students' education: a cross sectional survey of US and UK staff.

Science.gov (United States)

Upton, Penney; Scurlock-Evans, Laura; Williamson, Kathleen; Rouse, Joanne; Upton, Dominic

2015-01-01

Competency in evidence-based practice (EBP) is a requirement for graduate nurses. Despite a growing body of research exploring the EBP profiles of students, little research has explored the EBP profiles of nurse educators. To explore: the differences/similarities in the EBP profiles of US and UK clinical and academic faculty; the barriers nurse educators experience when teaching EBP; the impact of postgraduate education on EBP profile and; what nurse educators perceive "success" in implementing and teaching EBP to be. A cross-sectional online survey design was employed. Two Universities delivering undergraduate nursing education in the US and UK, in partnership with large hospital systems, small community hospitals, community settings, and independent sector health organisations. Eighty-one nurse educators working in academic and clinical contexts in the US and UK (US academic=12, US clinical=17, UK academic=9, UK clinical=43) were recruited opportunistically. Participants were emailed a weblink to an online survey, comprising demographic questions, the Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire and open-ended questions about EBP barriers, facilitators and successes. Quantitative results indicated that academic faculty scored significantly higher on knowledge and skills of EBP, than clinical faculty, but revealed no other significant differences on EBP use or attitudes, or between US and UK professionals. Participants with postgraduate training scored significantly higher on EBP knowledge/skills, but not EBP attitudes or use. Qualitative findings identified key themes relating to EBP barriers and facilitators, including: Evidence-, organisational-, and teaching-related issues. Perceptions of successes in EBP were also described. Nurse educators working in the UK and US face similar EBP barriers to teaching and implementation, but view it positively and use it frequently. Clinical staff may require extra support to maintain their EBP knowledge and skills in

UK National Survey of Practice Patterns of Fluid Volume Management in Haemodialysis Patients: A Need for Evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Dasgupta, Indranil; Farrington, Ken; Davies, Simon J; Davenport, Andrew; Mitra, Sandip

2016-01-01

Fluid management in haemodialysis (HD) affects patient experience, morbidity and mortality. Standards for best practice are lacking. A national survey of the United Kingdom was undertaken to define prevalent practice. An online questionnaire was distributed to all UK renal centres. Forty-five of 74 centres (173 dialysis units), serving 62% (n = 14,697) of UK HD population responded. Seventy-eight per cent had no agreed policy for managing fluid balance in patients on HD; 44% did not assess fluid status routinely. Clinical assessment was the norm; 27% used bio-impedance-based device. To achieve a target-weight, 53% reduced weight as far as tolerated. Twenty-two per cent measured residual renal function (RRF). Ninety-one per cent had no policy for fluid overload. Sixty-four per cent restricted salt and water. Ninety-three per cent used diuretics in patients with RRF. Thirty-eight per cent felt management was adequate; 77% felt there was a need for better evidence. Ninety-one per cent would participate in a study addressing this. There is an urgent need for establishing an evidence base on the optimal approaches to fluid management. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

PLAB and UK graduates’ performance on MRCP(UK) and MRCGP examinations: data linkage study

Science.gov (United States)

Wakeford, Richard

2014-01-01

Objectives To assess whether international medical graduates passing the two examinations set by the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB1 and PLAB2) of the General Medical Council (GMC) are equivalent to UK graduates at the end of the first foundation year of medical training (F1), as the GMC requires, and if not, to assess what changes in the PLAB pass marks might produce equivalence. Design Data linkage of GMC PLAB performance data with data from the Royal Colleges of Physicians and the Royal College of General Practitioners on performance of PLAB graduates and UK graduates at the MRCP(UK) and MRCGP examinations. Setting Doctors in training for internal medicine or general practice in the United Kingdom. Participants 7829, 5135, and 4387 PLAB graduates on their first attempt at MRCP(UK) Part 1, Part 2, and PACES assessments from 2001 to 2012 compared with 18 532, 14 094, and 14 376 UK graduates taking the same assessments; 3160 PLAB1 graduates making their first attempt at the MRCGP AKT during 2007-12 compared with 14 235 UK graduates; and 1411 PLAB2 graduates making their first attempt at the MRCGP CSA during 2010-12 compared with 6935 UK graduates. Main outcome measures Performance at MRCP(UK) Part 1, Part 2, and PACES assessments, and MRCGP AKT and CSA assessments in relation to performance on PLAB1 and PLAB2 assessments, as well as to International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores. MRCP(UK), MRCGP, and PLAB results were analysed as marks relative to the pass mark at the first attempt. Results PLAB1 marks were a valid predictor of MRCP(UK) Part 1, MRCP(UK) Part 2, and MRCGP AKT (r=0.521, 0.390, and 0.490; all PIELTS scores correlated significantly with later performance, multiple regression showing that the effect of PLAB1 (β=0.496) was much stronger than the effect of IELTS (β=0.086). Changes to PLAB pass marks that would result in international medical graduate and UK medical graduate equivalence were assessed in two

PLAB and UK graduates' performance on MRCP(UK) and MRCGP examinations: data linkage study.

Science.gov (United States)

McManus, I C; Wakeford, Richard

2014-04-17

To assess whether international medical graduates passing the two examinations set by the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB1 and PLAB2) of the General Medical Council (GMC) are equivalent to UK graduates at the end of the first foundation year of medical training (F1), as the GMC requires, and if not, to assess what changes in the PLAB pass marks might produce equivalence. Data linkage of GMC PLAB performance data with data from the Royal Colleges of Physicians and the Royal College of General Practitioners on performance of PLAB graduates and UK graduates at the MRCP(UK) and MRCGP examinations. Doctors in training for internal medicine or general practice in the United Kingdom. 7829, 5135, and 4387 PLAB graduates on their first attempt at MRCP(UK) Part 1, Part 2, and PACES assessments from 2001 to 2012 compared with 18,532, 14,094, and 14,376 UK graduates taking the same assessments; 3160 PLAB1 graduates making their first attempt at the MRCGP AKT during 2007-12 compared with 14,235 UK graduates; and 1411 PLAB2 graduates making their first attempt at the MRCGP CSA during 2010-12 compared with 6935 UK graduates. Performance at MRCP(UK) Part 1, Part 2, and PACES assessments, and MRCGP AKT and CSA assessments in relation to performance on PLAB1 and PLAB2 assessments, as well as to International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores. MRCP(UK), MRCGP, and PLAB results were analysed as marks relative to the pass mark at the first attempt. PLAB1 marks were a valid predictor of MRCP(UK) Part 1, MRCP(UK) Part 2, and MRCGP AKT (r=0.521, 0.390, and 0.490; all PIELTS scores correlated significantly with later performance, multiple regression showing that the effect of PLAB1 (β=0.496) was much stronger than the effect of IELTS (β=0.086). Changes to PLAB pass marks that would result in international medical graduate and UK medical graduate equivalence were assessed in two ways. Method 1 adjusted PLAB pass marks to equate median performance of PLAB

Impact of Dividend Policy on Share Price Volatility: UK Evidence

OpenAIRE

ZHANG, YIDING

2012-01-01

This research attempts to shed light on the linkage between dividend policy and share price volatility in the context of UK. As a rework and extension of pervious research, the study is expected to reveal the potential impact of dividend change on the fluctuation of stock price, taking existing theoretical and empirical framework as basis. A snapshot of UK economy is provided after the preceding introductory section. The third chapter consists of a review of theories and empirical studies. Wi...

ELIXIR-UK role in bioinformatics training at the national level and across ELIXIR.

Science.gov (United States)

Larcombe, L; Hendricusdottir, R; Attwood, T K; Bacall, F; Beard, N; Bellis, L J; Dunn, W B; Hancock, J M; Nenadic, A; Orengo, C; Overduin, B; Sansone, S-A; Thurston, M; Viant, M R; Winder, C L; Goble, C A; Ponting, C P; Rustici, G

2017-01-01

ELIXIR-UK is the UK node of ELIXIR, the European infrastructure for life science data. Since its foundation in 2014, ELIXIR-UK has played a leading role in training both within the UK and in the ELIXIR Training Platform, which coordinates and delivers training across all ELIXIR members. ELIXIR-UK contributes to the Training Platform's coordination and supports the development of training to address key skill gaps amongst UK scientists. As part of this work it acts as a conduit for nationally-important bioinformatics training resources to promote their activities to the ELIXIR community. ELIXIR-UK also leads ELIXIR's flagship Training Portal, TeSS, which collects information about a diverse range of training and makes it easily accessible to the community. ELIXIR-UK also works with others to provide key digital skills training, partnering with the Software Sustainability Institute to provide Software Carpentry training to the ELIXIR community and to establish the Data Carpentry initiative, and taking a lead role amongst national stakeholders to deliver the StaTS project - a coordinated effort to drive engagement with training in statistics.

UK energy policy ambition and UK energy modelling-fit for purpose?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strachan, Neil

2011-01-01

Aiming to lead amongst other G20 countries, the UK government has classified the twin energy policy priorities of decarbonisation and security of supply as a 'centennial challenge'. This viewpoint discusses the UK's capacity for energy modelling and scenario building as a critical underpinning of iterative decision making to meet these policy ambitions. From a nadir, over the last decade UK modelling expertise has been steadily built up. However extreme challenges remain in the level and consistency of funding of core model teams - critical to ensure a full scope of energy model types and hence insights, and in developing new state-of-the-art models to address evolving uncertainties. Meeting this challenge will facilitate a broad scope of types and geographical scale of UK's analytical tools to responsively deliver the evidence base for a range of public and private sector decision makers, and ensure that the UK contributes to global efforts to advance the field of energy-economic modelling. - Research highlights: → Energy modelling capacity is a critical underpinning for iterative energy policy making. → Full scope of energy models and analytical approaches is required. → Extreme challenges remain in consistent and sustainable funding of energy modelling teams. → National governments that lead in global energy policy also need to invest in modelling capacity.

Foundation doctors and dyslexia: a qualitative study of their experiences and coping strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Newlands, Freda; Shrewsbury, Duncan; Robson, Jean

2015-03-01

Dyslexia is the most common form of specific learning difficulty affecting approximately 6% of the general UK population and believed to affect approximately 2% of UK medical students. The impact of dyslexia on early practice has not been studied. To develop an understanding of the challenges faced by doctors with dyslexia in the first year of practice and their support requirements. Semistructured telephone interviews were conducted with seven foundation year 1 doctors with dyslexia from Scottish hospitals between March 2013 and August 2013. Foundation doctors indicated that due to their dyslexia, they experience difficulty with all forms of communication, time management and anxiety. There were concerns about disclosure of their dyslexia to colleagues and supervisors. Coping strategies used frequently were safety-netting and planning; technology solutions did offer some assistance. Although technological interventions have the potential to offer benefits to foundation doctors with dyslexia, increased openness about a diagnosis of dyslexia with discussion between doctor and supervisors about the challenges and anxieties is likely to provide the most benefit. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Could situational judgement tests be used for selection into dental foundation training?

Science.gov (United States)

Patterson, F; Ashworth, V; Mehra, S; Falcon, H

2012-07-13

To pilot and evaluate a machine-markable situational judgement test (SJT) designed to select candidates into UK dental foundation training. Single centre pilot study. UK postgraduate deanery in 2010. Seventy-four candidates attending interview for dental foundation training in Oxford and Wessex Deaneries volunteered to complete the situational judgement test. The situational judgement test was developed to assess relevant professional attributes for dentistry (for example, empathy and integrity) in a machine-markable format. Test content was developed by subject matter experts working with experienced psychometricians. Evaluation of psychometric properties of the pilot situational judgement test (for example, reliability, validity and fairness). Scores in the dental foundation training selection process (short-listing and interviews) were used to examine criterion-related validity. Candidates completed an evaluation questionnaire to examine candidate reactions and face validity of the new test. Forty-six candidates were female and 28 male; mean age was 23.5-years-old (range 22-32). Situational judgement test scores were normally distributed and the test showed good internal reliability when corrected for test length (α = 0.74). Situational judgement test scores positively correlated with the management, leadership and professionalism interview (N = 50; r = 0.43, p fair. This initial pilot study suggests that a situational judgement test is an appropriate and innovative method to measure professional attributes (eg empathy and integrity) for selection into foundation training. Further research will explore the long-term predictive validity of the situational judgement test once candidates have entered training.

A Comparative Analysis of Corporate and Independent Foundations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Justin Koushyar

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Notwithstanding some visible debates, systematic evidence about the implications of greater corporate involvement in the social sector is sparse. We provide some of this evidence by examining one channel of corporate influence within the nonprofit sector–company sponsorship of philanthropic foundations. Our analysis shows that corporate foundations raise more funds and distribute grants with lower overhead than similar independent (i.e., non-corporate foundations. However, their grantmaking is also more dispersed and less relational, and they tend to be governed by more ephemeral groups of officers and trustees. These findings suggest that corporate foundations benefit from having access to the resources of the companies that sponsor them but are constrained by their additional market-based motivations. The findings also update and refine what nonprofits might expect from corporate foundations relative to their more traditional independent counterparts.

"Teamwork" or "Working as a Team"? The Theory and Practice of Top Team Working in UK Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Woodfield, Steve; Kennie, Tom

2008-01-01

This article focuses on the theory and practice of teamwork in "top management teams" in UK higher education institutions. It is informed by some of the key findings from a recent two-year research project sponsored by the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education that investigated the different ways in which UK higher education…

Audit market structure, fees and choice in a period of structural change: evidence from the UK – 1998–2003

OpenAIRE

Abidin, S.; Beattie, V.; Goodacre, A.

2010-01-01

This paper presents evidence on audit market concentration and auditor fee levels in the UK market in the crucial period of structural change following the PricewaterhouseCoopers’ (PwC) merger and encompassing Andersen’s demise (1998–2003). Given the current interest in auditor choice, analysis is also undertaken at the individual audit firm level and by industry sector. There is evidence of significant upward pressure on audit fees since 2001 but only for smaller auditees. Audit fee income f...

Content analysis of UK newspaper and online news representations of women's and men's 'binge' drinking: a challenge for communicating evidence-based messages about single-episodic drinking?

Science.gov (United States)

Patterson, C; Emslie, C; Mason, O; Fergie, G; Hilton, S

2016-12-27

In the UK, men's alcohol-related morbidity and mortality still greatly exceeds women's, despite an increase in women's alcohol consumption in recent decades. New UK alcohol guidelines introduce gender-neutral low-risk alcohol consumption guidance. This study explores how UK newspaper and online news represent women's and men's 'binge' drinking to identify opportunities to better align reporting of harmful drinking with evidence. Quantitative and qualitative content analysis of 308 articles published in 7 UK national newspapers and the BBC News website between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2013. Articles associated women with 'binge' drinking more frequently than men, and presented women's drinking as more problematic. Men were more frequently characterised as violent or disorderly, while women were characterised as out of control, putting themselves in danger, harming their physical appearance and burdening men. Descriptions of female 'binge' drinkers' clothing and appearance were typically moralistic. The UK news media's disproportionate focus on women's 'binge' drinking is at odds with epidemiological evidence, may reproduce harmful gender stereotypes and may obstruct public understandings of the gender-neutral weekly consumption limits in newly proposed alcohol guidelines. In order to better align reporting of harmful drinking with current evidence, public health advocates may engage with the media with a view to shifting media framing of 'binge' drinking away from specific groups (young people; women) and contexts (public drinking) and towards the health risks of specific drinking behaviours, which affect all groups regardless of context. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Public health research in the UK: a report with a European perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

McCarthy, Mark; Dyakova, Mariana; Clarke, Aileen

2014-06-01

Public health research is of growing interest within Europe. Bibliometric research shows the UK with a high absolute output of public health publications, although lower per capita than Nordic countries. UK contributed to a European Union (EU) project PHIRE to assess public health research and innovation. UK health research structures, and programmes funded in 2010, were determined from internet search. Expert informants were asked to comment on national uptake of eight projects EU collaborative health projects. The Faculty of Public Health and the UK Society for Social Medicine discussed the findings at a meeting with stakeholders. Health research in UK is funded by research councils, the National Health Service (NHS) and independent foundations. Reviews and reports on public health research have encouraged diversified funding. There were 15 programmes and calls in 2010. The UK participated in all eight EU projects, and there was uptake of results for four. Strategic coordination between public health researchers and practitioners, and the UK research councils, ministries of health and medical charities would strengthen research for policy and practice. With growing expertise and capacity across other EU countries, the UK should take more active leadership in European collaboration. © The Author 2013, Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved.

Do UK Institutional Shareholders Monitor their Investee Firms?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Goergen, M.; Renneboog, L.D.R.; Zhang, C.

2008-01-01

As institutional investors are the largest shareholders in most listed UK firms, one expects them to monitor the firms they invest in. However, there is mounting empirical evidence which suggests that they do not perform any monitoring. This paper provides a new test on whether UK institutional

Current practice patterns of drain usage amongst UK and Irish surgeons performing bilateral breast reductions: Evidence down the drain.

Science.gov (United States)

Sugrue, Conor M; McInerney, Niall; Joyce, Cormac W; Jones, Deidre; Hussey, Alan J; Kelly, Jack L; Kerin, Michael J; Regan, Padraic J

2015-01-01

Bilateral breast reduction (BBR) is one of the most frequently performed female breast operations. Despite no evidence supporting efficacy of drain usage in BBRs, postoperative insertion is common. Recent high quality evidence demonstrating potential harm from drain use has subsequently challenged this traditional practice. The aim of this study is to assess the current practice patterns of drains usage by Plastic & Reconstructive and Breast Surgeons in UK and Ireland performing BBRs. An 18 question survey was created evaluating various aspects of BBR practice. UK and Irish Plastic & Reconstructive and Breast Surgeons were invited to participate by an email containing a link to a web-based survey. Statistical analysis was performed with student t-test and chi-square test. Two hundred and eleven responding surgeons were analysed, including 80.1% (171/211) Plastic Surgeons and 18.9% (40/211) Breast Surgeons. Of the responding surgeons, 71.6% (151/211) routinely inserted postoperative drains, for a mean of 1.32 days. Drains were used significantly less by surgeons performing ≥20 BBRs (p = 0.02). With the majority of BBRs performed as an inpatient procedure, there was a trend towards less drain usage in surgeons performing this procedure as an outpatient; however, this was not statistically significant (p = 0.07). Even with the high level of evidence demonstrating the safety of BBR without drains, they are still routinely utilised. In an era of evidence- based medicine, surgeons performing breast reductions must adopt the results from scientific research into their clinical practice.

Analytics4Action Evaluation Framework: A Review of Evidence-Based Learning Analytics Interventions at the Open University UK

Science.gov (United States)

Rienties, Bart; Boroowa, Avinash; Cross, Simon; Kubiak, Chris; Mayles, Kevin; Murphy, Sam

2016-01-01

There is an urgent need to develop an evidence-based framework for learning analytics whereby stakeholders can manage, evaluate, and make decisions about which types of interventions work well and under which conditions. In this article, we will work towards developing a foundation of an Analytics4Action Evaluation Framework (A4AEF) that is…

Potential challenges facing distributed leadership in health care: evidence from the UK National Health Service.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Graeme; Beech, Nic; MacIntosh, Robert; Bushfield, Stacey

2015-01-01

The discourse of leaderism in health care has been a subject of much academic and practical debate. Recently, distributed leadership (DL) has been adopted as a key strand of policy in the UK National Health Service (NHS). However, there is some confusion over the meaning of DL and uncertainty over its application to clinical and non-clinical staff. This article examines the potential for DL in the NHS by drawing on qualitative data from three co-located health-care organisations that embraced DL as part of their organisational strategy. Recent theorising positions DL as a hybrid model combining focused and dispersed leadership; however, our data raise important challenges for policymakers and senior managers who are implementing such a leadership policy. We show that there are three distinct forms of disconnect and that these pose a significant problem for DL. However, we argue that instead of these disconnects posing a significant problem for the discourse of leaderism, they enable a fantasy of leadership that draws on and supports the discourse. © 2014 The Authors. Sociology of Health & Illness © 2014 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness/John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The UK gas market in transition to competition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Helm, D.

1997-01-01

Virtually every aspect of the UK gas market is currently experiencing rapid change and major uncertainties. The fast-track to full competition in 1998 requires a new customer-handling infrastructure, new rules and new marketing strategies.The introduction of competition in the UK is proving more complex than most of its architects assumed. The UK provides considerable evidence not only on market design but also the management of the transitional process. The path from a state-owned monopoly through privatisation to competition is overviewed, and some of the lessons are considered which other countries (and the European Commission) contemplating reforms may glean from the UK experience. (R.P.)

Staffing UK University Campuses Overseas: Lessons from MNE Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Salt, John; Wood, Peter

2014-01-01

This article suggests that as their internal labor markets become more multinational in scope, UK universities may acquire similar staffing characteristics to commercial multinational enterprises (MNEs). Comparing evidence from four UK universities with several surveys of MNEs it concludes that, although there are broad similarities in the…

"The Trampoline Tree and the Swamp Monster with 18 Heads": Outdoor Play in the Foundation Stage and Foundation Phase

Science.gov (United States)

Waller, Tim

2007-01-01

This paper considers pedagogy and outdoor play in the early years. The particular focus is on the specific features and benefits of outdoor play in the Foundation Stage (England) and Foundation Phase (Wales). The paper will draw on current international literature and evidence from outdoor learning constructed in an ongoing research project in two…

A review of the evidence concerning hepatic glutathione depletion and susceptibility to hepatotoxicity after paracetamol overdose

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kalsi SS

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Sarbjeet S Kalsi1,2, Paul I Dargan2–4, W Stephen Waring5, David M Wood2–41Emergency Department, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK; 2Clinical Toxicology, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK; 3King’s Health Partners, London, UK; 4King’s College London, London, UK; 5York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, York, UKAbstract: Paracetamol (acetaminophen poisoning is common throughout the world. The management of nonstaggered (acute paracetamol overdose is based on the plasma paracetamol concentration plotted on a treatment nomogram. In the UK there are two treatment lines on this nomogram, with the lower treatment line used for individuals felt to be at ‘high risk’ of paracetamol-related hepatotoxicity either as a result of induction of cytochrome P450 isoenzymes or reduction of intrahepatic glutathione. In this article we review the risk factors that, in current guidelines, are felt to increase risk due to a reduction in intrahepatic glutathione concentrations. Based on our review of the published literature, we feel that cystic fibrosis, acute viral illness, malnutrition, and eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa are likely to be associated with reduction in intrahepatic glutathione concentrations, and that this risk is likely to be related to malnutrition secondary to the disease. Chronic hepatitis C infection is also associated with reduced glutathione concentrations, although this appears to be independent of any associated malnutrition. Ageing and acute fasting are not associated with an increased risk of paracetamol-related hepatotoxicity due to reductions in glutathione concentrations. Finally, the evidence for HIV infection is inconclusive, particularly as the majority of studies were conducted in the pre-anti-viral treatment (HAART era; however it is likely that patients with symptomatic HIV/AIDS have reduced glutathione concentrations due to associated malnutrition. Although

Dividend policy and share price volatility: UK evidence

OpenAIRE

Hussainey, Khaled; Mgbame, Chijoke Oscar; Chijoke Mgbame, Aruoriwo M.

2011-01-01

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relation between dividend policy and share price changes in the UK stock market. Design/methodology/approach – Multiple regression analyses are used to explore the association between share price changes and both dividend yield and dividend payout ratio. Findings – A positive relation is found between dividend yield and stock price changes, and a negative relation between dividend payout ratio and stock price changes. In a...

The role of insulin detemir in overweight type 2 diabetes management

OpenAIRE

Soran, Handrean

2009-01-01

Yared N Demssie1, Naveed Younis2, Handrean Soran31Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Salford Royal Foundation NHS Trust, Salford, UK; 2Department of Medicine, University Hospital South Manchester Foundation NHS Trust, Wythenshawe, Manchester, UK; 3University Department of Medicine, Central Manchester and Manchester Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UKAbstract: The recent evidence-based shift towards an algorithm of early initiation and aggressive titration of insul...

Promoting physical therapists’ of research evidence to inform clinical practice: part 1 - theoretical foundation, evidence, and description of the PEAK program

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background There is a need for theoretically grounded and evidence-based interventions that enhance the use of research evidence in physical therapist practice. This paper and its companion paper introduce the Physical therapist-driven Education for Actionable Knowledge translation (PEAK) program, an educational program designed to promote physical therapists’ integration of research evidence into clinical decision-making. The pedagogical foundations for the PEAK educational program include Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory and Malcolm Knowles’s adult learning theory. Additionally, two complementary frameworks of knowledge translation, the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (PARiHS) and Knowledge to Action (KTA) Cycle, were used to inform the organizational elements of the program. Finally, the program design was influenced by evidence from previous attempts to facilitate the use of research in practice at the individual and organizational levels. Discussion The 6-month PEAK program consisted of four consecutive and interdependent components. First, leadership support was secured and electronic resources were acquired and distributed to participants. Next, a two-day training workshop consisting of didactic and small group activities was conducted that addressed the five steps of evidence based practice. For five months following the workshop, participants worked in small groups to review and synthesize literature around a group-selected area of common clinical interest. Each group contributed to the generation of a “Best Practices List” - a list of locally generated, evidence-based, actionable behaviors relevant to the groups’ clinical practice. Ultimately, participants agreed to implement the Best Practices List in their clinical practice. Summary This, first of two companion papers, describes the underlying pedagogical theories, knowledge translation frameworks, and research evidence used to derive the PEAK program �

Promoting physical therapists' of research evidence to inform clinical practice: part 1--theoretical foundation, evidence, and description of the PEAK program.

Science.gov (United States)

Tilson, Julie K; Mickan, Sharon

2014-06-25

There is a need for theoretically grounded and evidence-based interventions that enhance the use of research evidence in physical therapist practice. This paper and its companion paper introduce the Physical therapist-driven Education for Actionable Knowledge translation (PEAK) program, an educational program designed to promote physical therapists' integration of research evidence into clinical decision-making. The pedagogical foundations for the PEAK educational program include Albert Bandura's social cognitive theory and Malcolm Knowles's adult learning theory. Additionally, two complementary frameworks of knowledge translation, the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (PARiHS) and Knowledge to Action (KTA) Cycle, were used to inform the organizational elements of the program. Finally, the program design was influenced by evidence from previous attempts to facilitate the use of research in practice at the individual and organizational levels. The 6-month PEAK program consisted of four consecutive and interdependent components. First, leadership support was secured and electronic resources were acquired and distributed to participants. Next, a two-day training workshop consisting of didactic and small group activities was conducted that addressed the five steps of evidence based practice. For five months following the workshop, participants worked in small groups to review and synthesize literature around a group-selected area of common clinical interest. Each group contributed to the generation of a "Best Practices List" - a list of locally generated, evidence-based, actionable behaviors relevant to the groups' clinical practice. Ultimately, participants agreed to implement the Best Practices List in their clinical practice. This, first of two companion papers, describes the underlying pedagogical theories, knowledge translation frameworks, and research evidence used to derive the PEAK program - an educational program designed to

UK medical selection: lottery or meritocracy?

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Benjamin H L; Walsh, Jason L; Lammy, Simon

2015-02-01

From senior school through to consultancy, a plethora of assessments shape medical careers. Multiple methods of assessment are used to discriminate between applicants. Medical selection in the UK appears to be moving increasingly towards non-knowledge-based testing at all career stages. We review the evidence for non-knowledge-based tests and discuss their perceived benefits. We raise the question: is the current use of non-knowledge-based tests within the UK at risk of undermining more robust measures of medical school and postgraduate performance? © 2015 Royal College of Physicians.

An Evaluation Strategy Developed by RAND for the Broad Foundation

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Chun, Tammi

2001-01-01

... attempt to provide evidence that a leadership initiative is influencing student outcomes. As the W. K. Kellogg Foundation claims, evaluation can lead the foundation and those it supports to greater learning opportunities and more effective programs...

Synthetic biology in the UK - An outline of plans and progress.

Science.gov (United States)

Clarke, L J; Kitney, R I

2016-12-01

Synthetic biology is capable of delivering new solutions to key challenges spanning the bioeconomy, both nationally and internationally. Recognising this significant potential and the associated need to facilitate its translation and commercialisation the UK government commissioned the production of a national Synthetic Biology Roadmap in 2011, and subsequently provided crucial support to assist its implementation. Critical infrastructural investments have been made, and important strides made towards the development of an effectively connected community of practitioners and interest groups. A number of Synthetic Biology Research Centres, DNA Synthesis Foundries, a Centre for Doctoral Training, and an Innovation Knowledge Centre have been established, creating a nationally distributed and integrated network of complementary facilities and expertise. The UK Synthetic Biology Leadership Council published a UK Synthetic Biology Strategic Plan in 2016, increasing focus on the processes of translation and commercialisation. Over 50 start-ups, SMEs and larger companies are actively engaged in synthetic biology in the UK, and inward investments are starting to flow. Together these initiatives provide an important foundation for stimulating innovation, actively contributing to international research and development partnerships, and helping deliver useful benefits from synthetic biology in response to local and global needs and challenges.

The Use of Social Media by UK Local Resilience Forums

OpenAIRE

Meaton, Julia; Stringer, Lisa

2014-01-01

The potential uses of social media in the field of emergency preparedness, resilience and response (EPRR) are varied and interesting. The UK government have produced guidance documents for its use in the UK EPRR field but evidence of use is poorly documented and appears sporadic. This paper presents the results of a survey of Local Resilience Forums (LRF) in the UK on their use and engagement with social media. The findings suggest that the level of application of social media strategies as e...

Poorer mental health in UK bisexual women than lesbians: evidence from the UK 2007 Stonewall Women's Health Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Colledge, Lisa; Hickson, Ford; Reid, David; Weatherburn, Peter

2015-09-01

Bisexual- and lesbian-identified women have significantly worse mental health than heterosexual women. Less evidence exists about mental health differences between lesbian and bisexual women. Self-completion survey with community-based, opportunistic sampling recruited 937 bisexual-identified and 4769 lesbian-identified women. Associations between sexual identity and mental health indicators were assessed by logistic regression, controlling for age, income, student status and employment. As a group, bisexual women were younger, poorer, and more likely to be trans-identified, minority ethnic identified and to use marijuana, compared with lesbians. Bisexuals were more likely than lesbians to report eating problems (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.64, P women attended lesbian or bisexual social events, were 'out', or had experienced any sexuality-related discrimination, compared with lesbians. More bisexual women reported poor mental health or psychological distress than did lesbians. Bisexual women may be more likely to experience social stress due to the 'double discrimination' of homophobia and biphobia. This stress, experienced mainly as internalized and felt stigma, could result in greater risk for poor mental health compared with lesbians. Addressing both biphobia and homophobia within UK society has important preventative mental health implications. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

UK Announces Intention to Join ESO

Science.gov (United States)

2000-11-01

(Atacama Large Millimeter Array) in Chile and the very large optical/infrared telescopes now undergoing conceptual studies. ESO membership will give UK astronomers access to the suite of four world-class 8.2-meter VLT Unit Telescopes at the Paranal Observatory (Chile), as well as other state-of-the-art facilities at ESO's other observatory at La Silla. Through PPARC the UK already participates in joint collaborative European science programmes such as CERN and the European Space Agency (ESA), which have already proved their value on the world scale. Joining ESO will consolidate this policy, strengthen ESO and enhance the future vigour of European astronomy. Statements Commenting on the funding announcement, Prof. Ian Halliday , PPARC's CEO, said that " this new funding will ensure our physicists and astronomers remain at the forefront of international research - leading in discoveries that push back the frontiers of knowledge - and the UK economy will also benefit through the provision of highly trained people and the resulting advances in IT and commercial spin-offs ". Prof. Mike Edmunds , UCW Cardiff, and Chairman of the UK Astronomy Review Panel which recently set out a programme of opportunities and priorities for the next 10 - 20 years added that " this is excellent news for UK science and lays the foundation for cutting edge research over the next ten years. British astronomers will be delighted by the Government's rapid and positive response to their case. " Speaking on behalf of the ESO Organisation and the community of more than 2500 astronomers in the ESO member states [2], the ESO Director General, Dr. Catherine Cesarsky , declared: "When ESO was created in 1962, the UK decided not to join, because of access to other facilities in the Southern Hemisphere. But now ESO has developed into one of the world's main astronomical organisations, with top technology and operating the VLT at Paranal, the largest and most efficient optical/infrared telescope facility in the

Laying a Firm Foundation: Embedding Evidence-Based Emergent Literacy Practices Into Early Intervention and Preschool Environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Terrell, Pamela; Watson, Maggie

2018-04-05

As part of this clinical forum on curriculum-based intervention, the goal of this tutorial is to share research about the importance of language and literacy foundations in natural environments during emergent literacy skill development, from infancy through preschool. Following an overview of intervention models in schools by Powell (2018), best practices at home, in child care, and in preschool settings are discussed. Speech-language pathologists in these settings will be provided a toolbox of best emergent literacy practices. A review of published literature in speech-language pathology, early intervention, early childhood education, and literacy was completed. Subsequently, an overview of the impact of early home and preschool literacy experiences are described. Research-based implementation of best practice is supported with examples of shared book reading and child-led literacy embedded in play within the coaching model of early intervention. Finally, various aspects of emergent literacy skill development in the preschool years are discussed. These include phonemic awareness, print/alphabet awareness, oral language skills, and embedded/explicit literacy. Research indicates that rich home literacy environments and exposure to rich oral language provide an important foundation for the more structured literacy environments of school. Furthermore, there is a wealth of evidence to support a variety of direct and indirect intervention practices in the home, child care, and preschool contexts to support and enhance all aspects of oral and written literacy. Application of this "toolbox" of strategies should enable speech-language pathologists to address the prevention and intervention of literacy deficits within multiple environments during book and play activities. Additionally, clinicians will have techniques to share with parents, child care providers, and preschool teachers for evidence-based literacy instruction within all settings during typical daily

Students and Sex Work in the UK: Providers and Purchasers

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Ron; Jones, Amy; Sanders, Teela

2013-01-01

Available evidence suggests that changes in the funding of UK higher education in recent years have been accompanied by an increased student presence in the sex industry, ostensibly for financial reasons and to make ends meet. The current study comprises a sample of students ("N" = 200) drawn from several universities in the UK. Data…

Supporting UK adaptation: building services for the next set of UK climate projections

Science.gov (United States)

Fung, Fai; Lowe, Jason

2016-04-01

As part of the Climate Change Act 2008, the UK Government sets out a national adaptation programme to address the risks and opportunities identified in a national climate change risk assessment (CCRA) every five years. The last risk assessment in 2012 was based on the probabilistic projections for the UK published in 2009 (UKCP09). The second risk assessment will also use information from UKCP09 alongside other evidence on climate projections. However, developments in the science of climate projeciton, and evolving user needs (based partly on what has been learnt about the diverse user requirements of the UK adaptation community from the seven years of delivering and managing UKCP09 products, market research and the peer-reviewed literature) suggest now is an appropriate time to update the projections and how they are delivered. A new set of UK climate projections are now being produced to upgrade UKCP09 to reflect the latest developments in climate science, the first phase of which will be delivered in 2018 to support the third CCRA. A major component of the work is the building of a tailored service to support users of the new projections during their development and to involve users in key decisions so that the projections are of most use. We will set out the plan for the new climate projections that seek to address the evolving user need. We will also present a framework which aims to (i) facilitate the dialogue between users, boundary organisations and producers, reflecting their different decision-making roles (ii) produce scientifically robust, user-relevant climate information (iii) provide the building blocks for developing further climate services to support adaptation activities in the UK.

Foundation Networks and American Hegemony

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Inderjeet Parmar

2012-02-01

Full Text Available The major American foundations constructed and sustained the rich texture of cooperative social, intellectual and political relations between key actors and institutions supportive of specific modes of thought that promoted US hegemony. Foundations also fostered and developed the attractive power-knowledge networks that not only radiated intellectual influence but also attracted some of the most creative minds. Finally, liberal internationalist foundations fostered globalism even when the American state was ‘isolationist’, and when US influence abroad unwelcome. Their significance in American hegemony building lay in their sustained, long-term cooperative relationship with the American state through which they helped build national, international and global institutions and networks. The latter process evidences the most significant impact of US foundations – the building of the domestic and international infrastructure for liberal internationalism which has transformed into a kind of “social neoliberalism”. Theoretical conclusions follow from these claims: the sustained and deep cooperation between the state and foundations suggests that we must revise our views of “how power works” in the United States and therefore influences its foreign relations. Therefore, the article shows that elite networks, consisting of state officials and private citizens are powerful means by which foreign policy shifts may be prepared, elite and mass opinion primed and mobilised, new consensus built, ‘old’ forces marginalised, and US hegemony constructed.

Materiality Thresholds in Accounting and Auditing Some UK Evidence

OpenAIRE

Chong, Gin

2000-01-01

This paper reports the telephone interviews with 12 auditors (Big 5 and non Big 5) and 14 non auditors on the materiality thresholds adopted by them or by their organisations. Non auditors include from finance directors, banker, lawyer, internal auditors, an academic, and technical directors of the Accounting Standards Board (ASB) and the Auditing Practices Board (APB) in the UK. This is in respond to the issuance of Statement of Auditing Standards (SAS) 220 on ‘Materiality and the Audit= by t...

Soil geohazard mapping for improved asset management of UK local roads

Science.gov (United States)

Pritchard, O. G.; Hallett, S. H.; Farewell, T. S.

2015-09-01

Unclassified roads comprise 60 % of the road network in the United Kingdom (UK). The resilience of this locally important network is declining. It is considered by the Institution of Civil Engineers to be "at risk" and is ranked 26th in the world. Many factors contribute to the degradation and ultimate failure of particular road sections. However, several UK local authorities have identified that in drought conditions, road sections founded upon shrink-swell susceptible clay soils undergo significant deterioration compared with sections on non-susceptible soils. This arises from the local road network having little, if any, structural foundations. Consequently, droughts in East Anglia have resulted in millions of pounds of damage, leading authorities to seek emergency governmental funding. This paper assesses the use of soil-related geohazard assessments in providing soil-informed maintenance strategies for the asset management of the locally important road network of the UK. A case study draws upon the UK administrative county of Lincolnshire, where road assessment data have been analysed against mapped clay-subsidence risk. This reveals a statistically significant relationship between road condition and susceptible clay soils. Furthermore, incorporation of UKCP09 future climate projections within the geohazard models has highlighted roads likely to be at future risk of clay-related subsidence.

Integrating Radiology and Anatomy Teaching in Medical Education in the UK--The Evidence, Current Trends, and Future Scope.

Science.gov (United States)

Heptonstall, N B; Ali, T; Mankad, K

2016-04-01

This review article presents the current evidence of the importance of integrating radiology and anatomy in medical education in the UK, a recommendation by a number of key anatomy, education, and radiology organizations. Current evidence highlights that on average only 5% of total teaching time in medical education is dedicated to radiology. Often, radiology teaching does not adequately fulfill students' learning needs and potentially leaves them underprepared for medical practice. Benefits of integrating radiology and anatomy include improved clinical application of anatomy, an increase in student's interest in anatomy, and ultimately improved radiological interpretation. Various modalities exist for the integration of radiology and anatomy, facilitated by the vast portability of radiological images. It appears that combining radiological resources with traditional anatomy teaching methodology in a blended approach is most beneficial. Copyright © 2016 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The moral experience of illness and its impact on normalisation: Examples from narratives with Punjabi women living with rheumatoid arthritis in the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanderson, Tessa; Calnan, Michael; Kumar, Kanta

2015-11-01

The moral component of living with illness has been neglected in analyses of long-term illness experiences. This article attempts to fill this gap by exploring the role of the moral experience of illness in mediating the ability of those living with a long-term condition (LTC) to normalise. This is explored through an empirical study of women of Punjabi origin living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in the UK. Sixteen informants were recruited through three hospitals in UK cities and interviews conducted and analysed using a grounded theory approach. The intersection between moral experience and normalisation, within the broader context of ethnic, gender and socioeconomic influences, was evident in the following: disruption of a core lived value (the centrality of family duty), beliefs about illness causation affecting informants' 'moral career', and perceived discrimination in the workplace. The data illustrate the importance of considering an ethnic community's specific values and beliefs when understanding differences in adapting to LTCs and changing identities. © 2015 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness.

Improving performance through vertical disintegration: Evidence from UK manufacturing firms

OpenAIRE

Desyllas, Panos

2009-01-01

Unlike previous work on the vertical integration-performance relationship, we investigate the performance consequences of vertical disintegration. We offer a theoretical justification for the disintegration decision and we condition the disintegration effect on performance on the initial degree of firm integration, the timing and the direction of disintegration. Using a sample of UK manufacturing firms and controlling for disintegration endogeneity, we find that disintegration eventually resu...

What's in a name? Nominative determinism in the UK dental workforce.

Science.gov (United States)

Sleigh, J

2016-12-16

Background Nominative determinism describes the theory that people are more likely to pursue careers that are connected to their names. Compelling research has been carried out across the medical professions that provides strong evidence for this phenomenon, but as yet its applicability to the UK dental workforce remains unknown.Aim The aim of this study was to establish the prevalence of dentally-related surnames in the UK dental workforce (dentists and dental care professionals) and compare this to the UK population.Results Dentistry may provide a surprising counter-example to prevailing theories of nominative determinism, as UK dentists are significantly less likely than the UK general population to have dentally-related surnames. This new phenomenon of 'nominative antideterminism' was not observed in the dental care professional (DCP) cohort, for whom the prevalence of dentally-related surnames was similar to that in the wider UK population.

HRM practices and knowledge processes outcomes: empirical evidence from a quasi-experiment on UK SMEs in the tourism hospitality and leisure sector

OpenAIRE

Andreas Georgiadis; Christos N. Pitelis

2008-01-01

This paper presents empirical evidence of the relationship between human resources practices and the effectiveness of a firm to capitalise on investment in knowledge as measured by the returns to innovation and business development expenditure. The empirical design is based on exploiting a natural experiment provided by a policy intervention that offers human resources-related support to small and medium sized enterprises in the UK Tourism Hospitality and Leisure sector. Our findings suggest ...

No Evidence of XMRV or MuLV Sequences in Prostate Cancer, Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma, or the UK Blood Donor Population

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark James Robinson

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Xenotropic murine leukaemia virus-related virus (XMRV is a recently described retrovirus which has been claimed to infect humans and cause associated pathology. Initially identified in the US in patients with prostate cancer and subsequently in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, doubt now exists that XMRV is a human pathogen. We studied the prevalence of genetic sequences of XMRV and related MuLV sequences in human prostate cancer, from B cell lymphoma patients and from UK blood donors. Nucleic acid was extracted from fresh prostate tissue biopsies, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE prostate tissue and FFPE B-cell lymphoma. The presence of XMRV-specific LTR or MuLV generic gag-like sequences was investigated by nested PCR. To control for mouse DNA contamination, a PCR that detected intracisternal A-type particle (IAP sequences was included. In addition, DNA and RNA were extracted from whole blood taken from UK blood donors and screened for XMRV sequences by real-time PCR. XMRV or MuLV-like sequences were not amplified from tissue samples. Occasionally MuLV gag and XMRV-LTR sequences were amplified from Indian prostate cancer samples, but were always detected in conjunction with contaminating murine genomic DNA. We found no evidence of XMRV or MuLV infection in the UK blood donors.

Female Directors and Firm Performance: Evidence from UK Listed Firms

OpenAIRE

Pasaribu, Pananda

2017-01-01

The impact of female directors on firm performance has lacked consistency in the previously conducted empirical studies, which may be due to the endogeneity problem, or certain characteristics (i.e. governance, industry, competition). This study examines the relationship between female directors and firm performance by addressing those problems. This study analyses all non-financial UK listed firms during the period 2004-2012 and employs several econometric models. The regression results indi...

Evidence-Based Healthcare: The Importance of Effective Interprofessional Working for High Quality Veterinary Services, a UK Example

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Tierney Kinnison

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Objective: To highlight the importance of evidence-based research, not only for the consideration of clinical diseases and individual patient treatment, but also for investigating complex healthcare systems, as demonstrated through a focus on veterinary interprofessional working.Background:Evidence-Based Veterinary Medicine (EBVM was developed due to concerns over inconsistent approaches to therapy being delivered by individuals. However, a focus purely on diagnosis and treatment will miss other potential causes of substandard care including the holistic system. Veterinary services are provided by interprofessional teams; research on these teams is growing.Evidentiary value:This paper outlines results from four articles, written by the current authors, which are unique in their focus on interprofessional practice teams in the UK. Through mixed methods, the articles demonstrate an evidence base of the effects of interprofessional working on the quality of service delivery.Results:The articles explored demonstrate facilitators and challenges of the practice system on interprofessional working and the outcomes, including errors. The results encourage consideration of interprofessional relationships and activities in veterinary organisations. Interprofessional working is an example of one area which can affect the quality of veterinary services.Conclusion: The papers presented on veterinary interprofessional working are an example of the opportunities for future research on various topics within evidence-based healthcare.Application:The results are pertinent to members of veterinary teams seeking to improve their service delivery, to educators looking to enhance their students’ understanding of interprofessional working, and to researchers, who will hopefully be encouraged to consider evidence-based healthcare more holistically. 

An evaluation of UK foundation trainee doctors' learning behaviours in a technology-enhanced learning environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Brooks, Hannah L; Pontefract, Sarah K; Hodson, James; Blackwell, Nicholas; Hughes, Elizabeth; Marriott, John F; Coleman, Jamie J

2016-05-03

Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL) can be used to educate Foundation Programme trainee (F1 and F2) doctors. Despite the advantages of TEL, learning behaviours may be exhibited that are not desired by system developers or educators. The aim of this evaluation was to investigate how learner behaviours (e.g. time spent on task) were affected by temporal (e.g. time of year), module (e.g. word count), and individual (e.g. knowledge) factors for 16 mandatory TEL modules related to prescribing and therapeutics. Data were extracted from the SCRIPT e-Learning platform for first year Foundation trainee (F1) doctors in the Health Education England's West Midland region from 1(st) August 2013 to 5(th) August 2014. Generalised Estimating Equation models were used to examine the relationship between time taken to complete modules, date modules were completed, pre- and post-test scores, and module factors. Over the time period examined, 688 F1 doctors interacted with the 16 compulsory modules 10,255 times. The geometric mean time taken to complete a module was 28.9 min (95% Confidence Interval: 28.4-29.5) and 1,075 (10.5%) modules were completed in less than 10 min. In February and June (prior to F1 progression reviews) peaks occurred in the number of modules completed and troughs in the time taken. Most modules were completed, and the greatest amount of time was spent on the learning on a Sunday. More time was taken by those doctors with greater pre-test scores and those with larger improvements in test scores. Foundation trainees are exhibiting unintended learning behaviours in this TEL environment, which may be attributed to several factors. These findings can help guide future developments of this TEL programme and the integration of other TEL programmes into curricula by raising awareness of potential behavioural issues that may arise.

Secondary foundation species as drivers of trophic and functional diversity: evidence from a tree-epiphyte system.

Science.gov (United States)

Angelini, Christine; Silliman, Brian R

2014-01-01

Facilitation cascades arise where primary foundation species facilitate secondary (dependent) foundation species, and collectively, they increase habitat complexity and quality to enhance biodiversity. Whether such phenomena occur in nonmarine systems and if secondary foundation species enhance food web structure (e.g., support novel feeding guilds) and ecosystem function (e.g., provide nursery for juveniles) remain unclear. Here we report on field experiments designed to test whether trees improve epiphyte survival and epiphytes secondarily increase the number and diversity of adult and juvenile invertebrates in a potential live oak-Tillandsia usneoides (Spanish moss) facilitation cascade. Our results reveal that trees reduce physical stress to facilitate Tillandsia, which, in turn, reduces desiccation and predation stress to facilitate invertebrates. In experimental removals, invertebrate total density, juvenile density, species richness and H' diversity were 16, 60, 1.7, and 1.5 times higher, and feeding guild richness and H' were 5 and 11 times greater in Tillandsia-colonized relative to Tillandsia-removal limb plots. Tillandsia enhanced communities similarly in a survey across the southeastern United States. These findings reveal that a facilitation cascade organizes this widespread terrestrial assemblage and expand the role of secondary foundation species as drivers of trophic structure and ecosystem function. We conceptualize the relationship between foundation species' structural attributes and associated species abundance and composition in a Foundation Species-Biodiversity (FSB) model. Importantly, the FSB predicts that, where secondary foundation species form expansive and functionally distinct structures that increase habitat availability and complexity within primary foundation species, they generate and maintain hot spots of biodiversity and trophic interactions.

Problem solving in foundation engineering using foundationPro

CERN Document Server

Yamin, Mohammad

2016-01-01

This book is at once a supplement to traditional foundation engineering textbooks and an independent problem-solving learning tool. The book is written primarily for university students majoring in civil or construction engineering taking foundation analysis and design courses to encourage them to solve design problems. Its main aim is to stimulate problem solving capability and foster self-directed learning. It also explains the use of the foundationPro software, available at no cost, and includes a set of foundation engineering applications. Taking a unique approach, Dr. Yamin summarizes the general step-by-step procedure to solve various foundation engineering problems, illustrates traditional applications of these steps with longhand solutions, and presents the foundationPro solutions. The special structure of the book allows it to be used in undergraduate and graduate foundation design and analysis courses in civil and construction engineering. The book stands as valuable resource for students, faculty, ...

Rethinking foundations of language from a multidisciplinary perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Tao; Shuai, Lan; Wu, Yicheng

2018-04-21

The issue of language foundations has been of great controversy ever since it was first raised in Lenneberg's (1967) monograph Biological Foundations of Language. Based on a survey of recent findings relevant to the study of language acquisition and evolution, we propose that: (i) the biological predispositions for language are largely domain-general, not necessarily language-specific or human-unique; (ii) the socio-cultural environment of language serves as another important foundation of language, which helps shape language components, induce and drive language shift; and (iii) language must have coevolved with the cognitive mechanisms associated with it through intertwined biological and cultural evolution. In addition to theoretical issues, this paper also evaluates the primary approaches recently joining the endeavor of studying language foundations and evolution, including human experiments and computer simulations. Most of the evidence surveyed in this paper comes from a variety of disciplines, and methodology therein complements each other to form a global picture of language foundations. These reflect the complexity of the issue of language foundations and the necessity of taking a multidisciplinary perspective to address it. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The risk of hydraulic fracturing on public health in the UK and the UK's fracking legislation.

Science.gov (United States)

Reap, Elisabeth

2015-01-01

Hydraulic fracturing to extract natural gas from shale rock is a new, rapidly expanding industry in the United States (US). However, there is concern that these operations could be having large negative impacts such as groundwater contamination, increased air pollution and seismic events. The United Kingdom (UK) is looking at the potential for emulating the success of 'shale gas' in the US. Differences in population density and geological conditions mean that the public health impacts recorded in the US cannot be directly extrapolated to the UK. There is limited academic literature available but findings suggest that the UK government is not fully recognising the inherent risks of hydraulic fracturing exposed by this literature. Government reports suggest a reliance on engineering solutions and better practice to overcome problems found in the US when evidence suggests that there are inherent risks and impacts that cannot be eliminated. This study applies US results to approximate the impact of one exposure pathway, inhalation of hydrocarbons by the public from operational air emissions over the 30 year lifetime of a well and finds that 7.2 extra cancer cases from exposure to air contamination would be expected in the UK if all test sites, approved test sites and test sites awaiting approval as of January 2015 went on to extract gas. In conclusion, limited assessment of the public health implications of hydraulic fracturing operations is available but the UK government appears to not be applying the precautionary principle to potentially significant legislation.

How good are we at implementing evidence to support the management of birth related perineal trauma? A UK wide survey of midwifery practice

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background The accurate assessment and appropriate repair of birth related perineal trauma require high levels of skill and competency, with evidence based guideline recommendations available to inform UK midwifery practice. Implementation of guideline recommendations could reduce maternal morbidity associated with perineal trauma, which is commonly reported and persistent, with potential to deter women from a future vaginal birth. Despite evidence, limited attention is paid to this important aspect of midwifery practice. We wished to identify how midwives in the UK assessed and repaired perineal trauma and the extent to which practice reflected evidence based guidance. Findings would be used to inform the content of a large intervention study. Methods A descriptive cross sectional study was completed. One thousand randomly selected midwives were accessed via the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) and sent a questionnaire. Study inclusion criteria included that the midwives were in clinical practice and undertook perineal assessment and management within their current role. Quantitative and qualitative data were collated. Associations between midwife characteristics and implementation of evidence based recommendations for perineal assessment and management were examined using chi-square tests of association. Results 405 midwives (40.5%) returned a questionnaire, 338 (83.5%) of whom met inclusion criteria. The majority worked in a consultant led unit (235, 69.5%) and over a third had been qualified for 20 years or longer (129, 38.2%). Compliance with evidence was poor. Few (6%) midwives used evidence based suturing methods to repair all layers of perineal trauma and only 58 (17.3%) performed rectal examination as part of routine perineal trauma assessment. Over half (192, 58.0%) did not suture all second degree tears. Feeling confident to assess perineal trauma all of the time was only reported by 116 (34.3%) midwives, with even fewer (73, 21.6%) feeling confident to

The cost of pressure ulcers in the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, Gerry; Dealey, Carol; Posnett, John

2004-05-01

To estimate the annual cost of treating pressure ulcers in the UK. Costs were derived from a bottom-up methodology, based on the daily resources required to deliver protocols of care reflecting good clinical practice. Health and social care system in the UK. Patients developing a pressure ulcer. A bottom-up costing approach is used to estimate treatment cost per episode of care and per patient for ulcers of different grades and level of complications. Also, total treatment cost to the health and social care system in the UK. The cost of treating a pressure ulcer varies from pound 1,064 (Grade 1) to pound 10,551 (Grade 4). Costs increase with ulcer grade because the time to heal is longer and because the incidence of complications is higher in more severe cases. The total cost in the UK is pound 1.4- pound 2.1 billion annually (4% of total NHS expenditure). Most of this cost is nurse time. Pressure ulcers represent a very significant cost burden in the UK. Without concerted effort this cost is likely to increase in the future as the population ages. To the extent that pressure ulcers are avoidable, pressure damage may be indicative of clinical negligence and there is evidence that litigation could soon become a significant threat to healthcare providers in the UK, as it is in the USA.

Implementing statistical equating for MRCP(UK) Parts 1 and 2.

Science.gov (United States)

McManus, I C; Chis, Liliana; Fox, Ray; Waller, Derek; Tang, Peter

2014-09-26

The MRCP(UK) exam, in 2008 and 2010, changed the standard-setting of its Part 1 and Part 2 examinations from a hybrid Angoff/Hofstee method to statistical equating using Item Response Theory, the reference group being UK graduates. The present paper considers the implementation of the change, the question of whether the pass rate increased amongst non-UK candidates, any possible role of Differential Item Functioning (DIF), and changes in examination predictive validity after the change. Analysis of data of MRCP(UK) Part 1 exam from 2003 to 2013 and Part 2 exam from 2005 to 2013. Inspection suggested that Part 1 pass rates were stable after the introduction of statistical equating, but showed greater annual variation probably due to stronger candidates taking the examination earlier. Pass rates seemed to have increased in non-UK graduates after equating was introduced, but was not associated with any changes in DIF after statistical equating. Statistical modelling of the pass rates for non-UK graduates found that pass rates, in both Part 1 and Part 2, were increasing year on year, with the changes probably beginning before the introduction of equating. The predictive validity of Part 1 for Part 2 was higher with statistical equating than with the previous hybrid Angoff/Hofstee method, confirming the utility of IRT-based statistical equating. Statistical equating was successfully introduced into the MRCP(UK) Part 1 and Part 2 written examinations, resulting in higher predictive validity than the previous Angoff/Hofstee standard setting. Concerns about an artefactual increase in pass rates for non-UK candidates after equating were shown not to be well-founded. Most likely the changes resulted from a genuine increase in candidate ability, albeit for reasons which remain unclear, coupled with a cognitive illusion giving the impression of a step-change immediately after equating began. Statistical equating provides a robust standard-setting method, with a better

Interventions that improve maternity care for immigrant women in the UK: protocol for a narrative synthesis systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Higginbottom, Gina Marie Awoko; Evans, Catrin; Morgan, Myfanwy; Bharj, Kuldip Kaur; Eldridge, Jeanette; Hussain, Basharat

2017-07-12

A quarter of all births in the UK are to mothers born outside the UK. There is also evidence that immigrant women have higher maternal and infant death rates and of inequalities in the provision and uptake of maternity services/birth centres. The topic is of great significance to the National Health Service because of directives that address inequalities and the changing patterns of migration to the UK. Our main question for the systematic review is 'what interventions exist that are specifically focused on improving maternity care for immigrant women in the UK?' The primary objective of this synthesis is to generate new interpretations of research evidence. Second, the synthesis will provide substantive base to guide developments and implementation of maternity services/birth centres which are acceptable and effective for immigrant women in the UK. We are using a narrative synthesis (NS) approach to identify, assess scientific quality and rigour, and synthesise empirical data focused on access and interventions that enhance quality of maternity care/birth centres for the UK immigrant women. The inclusion criteria include: publication date 1990 to present, English language, empirical research and findings are focused on women who live in the UK, participants of the study are immigrant women, is related to maternity care/birth centres access or interventions or experiences of maternity.In order to ensure the robustness of the NS, the methodological quality of key evidence will be appraised using the Center for Evidence-Based Management tools and review confidence with CERQual (Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative Research). Two reviewers will independently screen studies and extract relevant evidence. We will synthesise evidence studying relationships between included studies using a range of tools. Dissemination plan includes: an e-workshop for policymakers, collaborative practitioner workshops, YouTube video and APP, scientific papers and

Performance clustering and incentives in the UK pension fund industry

OpenAIRE

David Blake; Bruce N. Lehmann; Allan Timmermann

2002-01-01

Despite pension fund managers being largely unconstrained in their investment decisions, this paper reports evidence of clustering in the performance of a large cross-section of UK pension fund managers around the median fund manager. This finding is explained in terms of the predominance of a single investment style (balanced management), the fee structures and incentives operating in the UK pension fund industry to maximise relative rather than absolute performance, the high concentration i...

Conceptual foundations of quantum mechanics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimony, A.

1989-01-01

Radical innovation in the quantum mechanical framework such as objective indefiniteness, objective chance, objective probability, potentiality, entanglement and quantum nonlocality are discussed and related to the standard formalism. Examples are given which though problematic in classical mechanics are simply explained with these new concepts. Evidence is presented that the conceptual innovations of quantum mechanics cannot be separated from its predictive power. Proposals for solving ''the reduction of the wave packet'' anomaly are presented. Further radical innovations in quantum mechanics are anticipated. (U.K.)

Soil-related geohazard assessments for maintaining the UK's minor road network

Science.gov (United States)

Pritchard, Oliver; Hallett, Stephen; Farewell, Timothy

2015-04-01

The minor road network of the UK (United Kingdom) encompasses 98% of the overall road network. In recent years the UK's roads have been deteriorating, currently rated 26th in the world and considered at risk and declining by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). Many factors contribute to the degradation and ultimately, to the failure of particular road sections. However, several UK local authorities have identified that during drought conditions, road sections founded upon clay soils which are susceptible to volumetric shrinkage and swelling undergo significant deterioration compared to those sections on non-susceptible soils. Droughts in East Anglia recently resulted in estimated damages of £26 million, leading several local authorities to apply to Central Government for emergency funding. The minor or evolved road network is most at risk due to them having often little, if any, structural foundations. This paper addresses the use of soil-related geohazard assessments and GIS (Geographical Information Systems) in helping to provide a soil-informed maintenance strategy for the asset management of the important (both socially and commercially) local road network of the UK. Furthermore, to establish future subsidence risk, UKCP09 climate projections have been used to model the likely potential soil moisture deficit (PSMD) for baseline (1961-1990), 2030 (2020-2049) and 2050 (2040-2069) scenarios. The incorporation of probabilistic PSMD data into clay-related subsidence models has allowed an assessment of potential subsidence risk, with a range of uncertainties, for these scenarios. Intersection of road networks with future projections of subsidence risk has enabled metrics of potential vulnerability to be established. This will aid prioritisation of areas which require further maintenance to make them more climate resilient, avoiding emergency funding situations. Subsequently, this approach can then be extrapolated to the entire UK minor road network, on a local

The UK education of overseas students in speech and language therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Marshall, J; Goldbart, J; Phillips, J; Evans, R

2001-01-01

Informal evidence suggests that many overseas speech and language therapists (SLTs) either do not return to their home country on qualification or do not work as SLTs in the public sector. Many factors may contribute to this situation. However, concern that it may result in part from a poor match between UK SLT education and the demands of the role in other countries, led the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) to fund a study of overseas SLT students' experiences of UK qualifying courses. The study involved questionnaires and interviews with current students and those qualifying since May 1994. The focus of this paper is the respondents' experiences of studying and working in the UK, their views of the advantages and disadvantages of working in their home countries and the UK and supportive strategies that UK universities and other agencies might adopt. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Features of Moral Foundations in Mongol, German and Russian Adolescents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sychev O.A.,

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The difference in moral foundations between adults living in Western or Eastern countries is well-known, but there is lack of evidence about such difference in adolescence. We tested the hypothesis about cultural differences of moral foundations in Mongolian, Russian and German adolescents. As the methodology of the study we used Moral Foundations Theory describing five basic dimensions of moral domain including Harm/Care, Fair- ness/Reciprocity, Ingroup/Loyalty, Authority/Respect, and Purity/Sanctity. The sample comprised 446 Mon- golian, 450 Russian and 117 German adolescents at the age of 12…16 years old. We used three versions of Moral Foundations Questionnaire in different languages. The results of statistical analysis showed that general analy- sis, based on relations between scales, was acceptable. The replication of factor structure was low. It was revealed that Mongolian adolescents had most conservative moral foundations. Moral foundations of Russian adolescents from Altai Republic were quite close to Mongolian ones, while German adolescents showed much more «progressive» moral foundations which were typical for western societies.

Fossil resource trade balances. Emerging trends for the UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Papathanasopoulou, Eleni; Jackson, Tim

2008-01-01

The aim of this paper is to examine the extent to which the UK can be classified as a net importer of fossil resources and a creator of pollution havens abroad between 1968 and 2000. Using input-output techniques and a derived Resource Flow Classification System, both the physical trade balance (PTB) and pollution trade balance (UTB) associated with fossil resource use are computed. The PTB shows that between 1968 and the early 1980's the UK is presented as a net importer of direct fossil resource flows. Between 1984 and 2000, the UK is identified as a net exporter of direct fossil resources. These trends are primarily explained by the UK's discovery and commercial production of North Sea oil and gas fields in the late 1970s. On the other hand, the UTB shows that over the whole period the indirect used flows attributable to the UK's exports are higher than those attributable to its imports. These findings suggest that the UK did not create pollution havens abroad from the use of fossil resources between 1968 and 2000. However, it is noticeable in both cases that from 1995 the UK's position as a net exporter has been decreasing considerably. Maturing North Sea oil and gas fields set against increasing demands for fossil fuels and imported goods is signalling a return to the UK's pre-1984 dependence on direct imported fossil resources and the possible creation of pollution havens abroad. Knowledge of these trends contributes to the evidence base for the UK's changing import and export structure and the potential environmental repercussions at home and abroad. (author)

Fossil resource trade balances. Emerging trends for the UK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Papathanasopoulou, Eleni; Jackson, Tim [Centre for Environmental Strategy, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7TH (United Kingdom)

2008-06-15

The aim of this paper is to examine the extent to which the UK can be classified as a net importer of fossil resources and a creator of pollution havens abroad between 1968 and 2000. Using input-output techniques and a derived Resource Flow Classification System, both the physical trade balance (PTB) and pollution trade balance (UTB) associated with fossil resource use are computed. The PTB shows that between 1968 and the early 1980's the UK is presented as a net importer of direct fossil resource flows. Between 1984 and 2000, the UK is identified as a net exporter of direct fossil resources. These trends are primarily explained by the UK's discovery and commercial production of North Sea oil and gas fields in the late 1970s. On the other hand, the UTB shows that over the whole period the indirect used flows attributable to the UK's exports are higher than those attributable to its imports. These findings suggest that the UK did not create pollution havens abroad from the use of fossil resources between 1968 and 2000. However, it is noticeable in both cases that from 1995 the UK's position as a net exporter has been decreasing considerably. Maturing North Sea oil and gas fields set against increasing demands for fossil fuels and imported goods is signalling a return to the UK's pre-1984 dependence on direct imported fossil resources and the possible creation of pollution havens abroad. Knowledge of these trends contributes to the evidence base for the UK's changing import and export structure and the potential environmental repercussions at home and abroad. (author)

ELIXIR-UK role in bioinformatics training at the national level and across ELIXIR [version 1; referees: 2 approved, 1 approved with reservations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Larcombe

2017-06-01

Full Text Available ELIXIR-UK is the UK node of ELIXIR, the European infrastructure for life science data. Since its foundation in 2014, ELIXIR-UK has played a leading role in training both within the UK and in the ELIXIR Training Platform, which coordinates and delivers training across all ELIXIR members. ELIXIR-UK contributes to the Training Platform’s coordination and supports the development of training to address key skill gaps amongst UK scientists. As part of this work it acts as a conduit for nationally-important bioinformatics training resources to promote their activities to the ELIXIR community. ELIXIR-UK also leads ELIXIR’s flagship Training Portal, TeSS, which collects information about a diverse range of training and makes it easily accessible to the community. ELIXIR-UK also works with others to provide key digital skills training, partnering with the Software Sustainability Institute to provide Software Carpentry training to the ELIXIR community and to establish the Data Carpentry initiative, and taking a lead role amongst national stakeholders to deliver the StaTS project – a coordinated effort to drive engagement with training in statistics.

Determinants of Capital Structure:Evidence from UK Firm Panel Data

OpenAIRE

SONG, PING

2015-01-01

This study investigates the factors that determine firms’ the capital structures in the UK market. There 139 firms, in total, listed on FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 have been used as the sample set, and a 10-year time scale, from 2004 to 2013, is selected to constitute the panel data. Both firm-specific and macroeconomic determinants are included to be investigated whether they would pose impacts on total, long term and short term debt issuance. The fixed effects regression model is adopted to estim...

Does tax policy affect credit spreads? Evidence from the US and UK

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ji, K.; Qian, Zongxin

This paper studies how exogenous tax changes affect credit market conditions in the US and UK. Using both structural VAR and structural factor-augmented VAR (FAVAR) model, we find that tax-policy shocks have significant effects on the credit spread. Specifically, the credit spread responds first

Topological Foundations of Electromagnetism

CERN Document Server

Barrett, Terrence W

2008-01-01

Topological Foundations of Electromagnetism seeks a fundamental understanding of the dynamics of electromagnetism; and marshals the evidence that in certain precisely defined topological conditions, electromagnetic theory (Maxwell's theory) must be extended or generalized in order to provide an explanation and understanding of, until now, unusual electromagnetic phenomena. Key to this generalization is an understanding of the circumstances under which the so-called A potential fields have physical effects. Basic to the approach taken is that the topological composition of electromagnetic field

Appraisal of literature reviews on end-of-life care for minority ethnic groups in the UK and a critical comparison with policy recommendations from the UK end-of-life care strategy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pool Robert

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Evidence of low end-of-life (EoL care service use by minority ethnic groups in the UK has given rise to a body of research and a number of reviews of the literature. This article aims to review and evaluate literature reviews on minority ethnic groups and EoL care in the UK and assess their suitability as an evidence base for policy. Methods Systematic review. Searches were carried out in thirteen electronic databases, eight journals, reference lists, and grey literature. Reviews were included if they concerned minority ethnic groups and EoL care in the UK. Reviews were graded for quality and key themes identified. Results Thirteen reviews (2001-2009 met inclusion criteria. Seven took a systematic approach, of which four scored highly for methodological quality (a mean score of six, median seven. The majority of systematic reviews were therefore of a reasonable methodological quality. Most reviews were restricted by ethnic group, aspect of EoL care, or were broader reviews which reported relevant findings. Six key themes were identified. Conclusions A number of reviews were systematic and scored highly for methodological quality. These reviews provide a good reflection of the primary evidence and could be used to inform policy. The complexity and inter-relatedness of factors leading to low service use was recognised and reflected in reviews' recommendations for service improvement. Recommendations made in the UK End-of-Life Care Strategy were limited in comparison, and the Strategy's evidence base concerning minority ethnic groups was found to be narrow. Future policy should be embedded strongly in the evidence base to reflect the current literature and minimise bias.

Appraisal of literature reviews on end-of-life care for minority ethnic groups in the UK and a critical comparison with policy recommendations from the UK end-of-life care strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Natalie; Meñaca, Arantza; Andrew, Erin Vw; Koffman, Jonathan; Harding, Richard; Higginson, Irene J; Pool, Robert; Gysels, Marjolein

2011-06-02

Evidence of low end-of-life (EoL) care service use by minority ethnic groups in the UK has given rise to a body of research and a number of reviews of the literature. This article aims to review and evaluate literature reviews on minority ethnic groups and EoL care in the UK and assess their suitability as an evidence base for policy. Systematic review. Searches were carried out in thirteen electronic databases, eight journals, reference lists, and grey literature. Reviews were included if they concerned minority ethnic groups and EoL care in the UK. Reviews were graded for quality and key themes identified. Thirteen reviews (2001-2009) met inclusion criteria. Seven took a systematic approach, of which four scored highly for methodological quality (a mean score of six, median seven). The majority of systematic reviews were therefore of a reasonable methodological quality. Most reviews were restricted by ethnic group, aspect of EoL care, or were broader reviews which reported relevant findings. Six key themes were identified. A number of reviews were systematic and scored highly for methodological quality. These reviews provide a good reflection of the primary evidence and could be used to inform policy. The complexity and inter-relatedness of factors leading to low service use was recognised and reflected in reviews' recommendations for service improvement. Recommendations made in the UK End-of-Life Care Strategy were limited in comparison, and the Strategy's evidence base concerning minority ethnic groups was found to be narrow. Future policy should be embedded strongly in the evidence base to reflect the current literature and minimise bias.

Food advertising during children's television in Canada and the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, J; Hennessy-Priest, K; Ingimarsdóttir, S; Sheeshka, J; Ostbye, T; White, M

2009-09-01

Television advertisements for less healthy foods are thought to contribute to overweight and obesity in children. In the UK, new regulations on television food advertising to children came into effect in April 2007. These prohibit advertisements for "less healthy" foods during or around programmes "of particular appeal to" (OPAT) children. In Canada, self-regulated codes of practice on television food advertising to children were recently strengthened. To document the nutritional content of food advertised and number of advertisements OPAT children broadcast in the UK and central Canada before the introduction of the new UK regulations. All food advertisements broadcast on four popular channels in Canada and the three terrestrial commercial channels in the UK during 1 week in 2006 were identified and linked to relevant nutritional data. Food advertisements OPAT children and for "less healthy" products were identified using the criteria in the UK regulations. 2315 food related advertisements broadcast in Canada and 1365 broadcast in the UK were included. 52-61% were for "less healthy" products; 5-11% were OPAT children. Around 5% of food advertisements would have been prohibited under the new UK regulations. There were few differences in the nutritional content of food described in advertisements that were and were not OPAT children. There was little evidence that food described in advertisements OPAT children were any less healthy than those that were not. Few food advertisements are likely to be prohibited by the new UK regulations.

Framing obesity in UK policy from the Blair years, 1997-2015: the persistence of individualistic approaches despite overwhelming evidence of societal and economic factors, and the need for collective responsibility.

Science.gov (United States)

Ulijaszek, Stanley J; McLennan, Amy K

2016-05-01

Since 1997, and despite several political changes, obesity policy in the UK has overwhelmingly framed obesity as a problem of individual responsibility. Reports, policies and interventions have emphasized that it is the responsibility of individual consumers to make personal changes to reduce obesity. The Foresight Report 'Tackling Obesities: Future Choices' (2007) attempted to reframe obesity as a complex problem that required multiple sites of intervention well beyond the range of personal responsibility. This framing formed the basis for policy and coincided with increasing acknowledgement of the complex nature of obesity in obesity research. Yet policy and interventions developed following Foresight, such as the Change4Life social marketing campaign, targeted individual consumer behaviour. With the Conservative-Liberal Democrat government of 2011, intervention shifted to corporate and individual responsibility, making corporations voluntarily responsible for motivating individual consumers to change. This article examines shifts in the framing of obesity from a problem of individual responsibility, towards collective responsibility, and back to the individual in UK government reports, policies and interventions between 1997 and 2015. We show that UK obesity policies reflect the landscape of policymakers, advisors, political pressures and values, as much as, if not more than, the landscape of evidence. The view that the individual should be the central site for obesity prevention and intervention has remained central to the political framing of population-level obesity, despite strong evidence contrary to this. Power dynamics in obesity governance processes have remained unchallenged by the UK government, and individualistic framing of obesity policy continues to offer the path of least resistance. © 2016 World Obesity.

Mind the gap: gender disparities still to be addressed in UK Higher Education geography

OpenAIRE

Maddrell, Avril; Strauss, Kendra; Thomas, Nicola J.; Wyse, Stephanie

2016-01-01

This paper evidences persistent gender inequalities in UK higher education (HE) geography departments. The two key sources of data used are: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data for staff and students, which affords a longitudinal response to earlier surveys by McDowell and McDowell and Peake of women in UK university geography departments, and a qualitative survey of the UK HE geography community undertaken in 2010 that sought more roundly to capture respondent reflections on their...

Implementation of evidence-based practice by nurses working in community settings and their strategies to mentor student nurses to develop evidence-based practice: A qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Brooke, Joanne Mary; Mallion, Jaimee

2016-08-01

The aim of the study was to explore how community nurses apply the best available evidence to their practice, and how they mentor student nurses to conceptualize and implement evidence-based practice in community settings. In the UK, the expansion of health-care provision in the community has supported the development of highly skilled community nurses. However, there is limited literature regarding the strategies used by community nurses to implement evidence-based practice and mentor student nurses to conceptualize evidence-based practice in community placements. An exploratory qualitative approach applying inductive reasoning to focus group data was used. As a result, nurses working for a community NHS Foundation Trust in South England with a mentor qualification were invited to participate in one of the seven focus groups, 33 nurses participated. Data were analyzed with thematic analysis. The themes discussed in this paper are: 'our practice is evidence-based' as guidelines and policies provided structure, but occasionally stifled autonomous clinical decision-making, and 'time' as a barrier and facilitator to mentoring student nurses in community settings. In conclusion, nurses need to develop the ability to incorporate patients' needs and wishes within evidence-based care. Time was a facilitator for some community mentors, but protected time is required to complete the necessary practice documentation of student nurses. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Foundation calculation for buildings and structures with two elastic characteristics of the foundation using features of Fourier transformsfor finite functions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kurbatskiy Evgeniy Nikolaevich

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The problem of a beam resting on elastic foundation often occurs in the analysis of building, geotechnical, highway, and railroad structures. Its solution demands modeling of the mechanical behavior of the beam, the mechanical behavior of the soil as elastic subgrade and the form of interaction between the beam and the soil. The oldest, most famous and most frequently used mechanical model is the one devised by Winkler (1867, in which the beam-supporting soil is modeled as a series of closely spaced, mutually independent, linear elastic vertical springs, which, evidently, provide resistance in direct proportion to the deflection of the beam.The solution is presented for the problem of an Euler–Bernoulli beam supported by an infinite two-parameter Pasternak foundation. The beam is subjected to arbitrarily distributed or concentrated vertical loading along its length. Static response of a beam on an elastic foundation characterized by two parameters is investigated assuming, that the beam is subjected to external loads and two concentrated edge load. The governing equations of the problem are obtained and solved by pointing out that there is a concentrated edge foundation reaction in addition to a continuous foundation reaction along the beam axis in the case of complete contact in the foundation reactions of the two-parameter foundation model. The proposed method is based on the properties of Fourier transforms of the finite functions. Particular attention is paid to the problem, taking into account the deformation of soil areas outside the beam. The beam model with two foundation coefficients more realistically describes the behavior of strip footings under loading.

Corporate Foundations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Herlin, Heidi; Thusgaard Pedersen, Janni

2013-01-01

action between business and NGOs through convening, translation, collaboration, and mediation. Our study provides valuable insights into the tri-part relationship of company foundation NGO by discussing the implications of corporate foundations taking an active role in the realm of corporate social...... responsibility (CSR). The paper hence illuminates the fascinating and overlooked role of corporate foundations as potential bridges between business and civil society. It also informs theory on boundary organizations by clarifying challenges and limits of such institutions.......This paper aims to explore the potential of Danish corporate foundations as boundary organizations facilitating relationships between their founding companies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Hitherto, research has been silent about the role of corporate foundations in relation to cross...

Civil Litigation in the UK: сontemporary issues to ensure evidential reliability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Koch Hugh

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The system for assessing appropriate damages for individuals who have suffered a personal injury, caused by another person or persons is well established in the UK. A claimant, for example, who has been in a road accident, work accident, medical accident or negligent action can make a claim for his/her physical and psychological injuries, time off work and future disability, provided it is proven that another person(s is responsible. The system involves obtaining, medical-legal evidence on the diagnosis, causation, treatment and prognosis of any injuries, physical or psychological. One key aspect of this covers the crucial issue of evidential reliability. This paper explains the key questions facing lawyers and experts alike in the UK; fundamental postulates or beliefs about evidence; ways to improve reliability; the relevance of pre-event history and improving evidential reliability via Part 35 questioning. The UK, along with the USA, has the most advanced and developed system of personal injury litigation process.

Evidence for age-related performance degradation of (241)Am foil sources commonly used in UK schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Whitcher, R; Page, R D; Cole, P R

2014-06-01

The characteristics of alpha radiation have for decades been demonstrated in UK schools using small sealed (241)Am sources. There is a small but steady number of schools who report a considerable reduction in the alpha count rate detected by an end-window GM detector compared with when the source was new. This cannot be explained by incorrect apparatus or set-up, foil surface contamination, or degradation of the GM detector. The University of Liverpool and CLEAPSS collaborated to research the cause of this performance degradation. The aim was to find what was causing the performance degradation and the ramifications for both the useful and safe service life of the sources. The research shows that these foil sources have greater energy straggling with a corresponding reduction in spectral peak energy. A likely cause for this increase in straggling is a significant diffusion of the metals over time. There was no evidence to suggest the foils have become unsafe, but precautionary checks should be made on old sources.

Policy delivery for low carbon energy infrastructure in the UK, april 5th 2013: Conference overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heffron, Raphael J.; Johnston, Angus; McCauley, Darren; Jenkins, Kirsten

2013-01-01

The ambition of this conference was to deliver a first examination of how policy is delivered in the context of low-carbon energy infrastructure in the UK. The UK has been developing policy in this area since 2002 (Heffron, 2013). Finally, as the decade passed, in November 2012 an Energy Bill was put before the UK Parliament. One of the chief purposes of this Energy Bill is to establish the right environment for new electricity generation infrastructure in the low-carbon sector. There is significant debate on how this will be achieved and, indeed, whether this piece of legislation will actually deliver this outcome. This conference aimed to examine the dynamics of policy delivery. Throughout the day, there was entertaining discussion as a variety of conference presenters provided interesting contributions on how to deliver such policy goals. In total, there were twelve speakers throughout the day representing the UK (University of Oxford, Pinsent Masons Law Firm, University of Stirling, University of Dundee and University of Aberdeen), and also those who provided lessons from abroad from the University of Copenhagen, Central European University, Milieu Ltd., Pillsbury Law Firm (Washington DC, US) and the Conservation Law Foundation (MA, US)

Second study of UK nuclear test participants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Darby, S.; Doll, R.; Kendall, G.

1994-01-01

A second epidemiological analysis of mortality and cancer incidence in UK participants in the UK atmospheric nuclear tests and associated experimental programmes has provided broadly reassuring results. Overall death rates in test participants are lower than those in the general population and similar to those in a closely matched control group. Observations in the extended period of follow-up suggest that the excess of multiple myeloma seen in the first analysis was a chance finding. The extended follow-up does not provide any new evidence to support the finding of apparent excess of leukaemia found in the first analysis. However, the possibility that test participation may have caused a small risk of leukaemia in the early years after the tests cannot be ruled out. (author)

UK Environmental Prediction - integration and evaluation at the convective scale

Science.gov (United States)

Fallmann, Joachim; Lewis, Huw; Castillo, Juan Manuel; Pearson, David; Harris, Chris; Saulter, Andy; Bricheno, Lucy; Blyth, Eleanor

2016-04-01

Traditionally, the simulation of regional ocean, wave and atmosphere components of the Earth System have been considered separately, with some information on other components provided by means of boundary or forcing conditions. More recently, the potential value of a more integrated approach, as required for global climate and Earth System prediction, for regional short-term applications has begun to gain increasing research effort. In the UK, this activity is motivated by an understanding that accurate prediction and warning of the impacts of severe weather requires an integrated approach to forecasting. The substantial impacts on individuals, businesses and infrastructure of such events indicate a pressing need to understand better the value that might be delivered through more integrated environmental prediction. To address this need, the Met Office, NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and NERC National Oceanography Centre have begun to develop the foundations of a coupled high resolution probabilistic forecast system for the UK at km-scale. This links together existing model components of the atmosphere, coastal ocean, land surface and hydrology. Our initial focus has been on a 2-year Prototype project to demonstrate the UK coupled prediction concept in research mode. This presentation will provide an update on UK environmental prediction activities. We will present the results from the initial implementation of an atmosphere-land-ocean coupled system, including a new eddy-permitting resolution ocean component, and discuss progress and initial results from further development to integrate wave interactions in this relatively high resolution system. We will discuss future directions and opportunities for collaboration in environmental prediction, and the challenges to realise the potential of integrated regional coupled forecasting for improving predictions and applications.

The taxation of UK oil and gas production. Why the windfalls got away

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdo, Hafez

2010-01-01

Starting with evidence that United Kingdom Continental Shelf oil and gas companies have benefitted very disproportionately from the recent period of extraordinarily high oil prices, this paper traces the history of this weakness in the UK's petroleum fiscal regime. Evidence is provided that the progressive relaxations in the UK's petroleum fiscal regime in 1983, 1987-1988 and 1993 were: largely unnecessary to stimulate the development of new, smaller, 'marginal' fields; misguided in their assumption that such fields were more costly to develop than earlier counterparts or larger contemporary fields; and impotent compared with the effects of oil price movements. The paper concludes with a conceptualisation which illuminates why these failures of policy were not just random: they emerged from the UK's 'non-proprietorial' stance with respect to the country's oil and gas resources, a stance which assumes responsibility for oil company profitability and vainly tries to counter market forces at the expense of government revenues. (author)

The taxation of UK oil and gas production: Why the windfalls got away

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abdo, Hafez, E-mail: hafez.abdo@ntu.ac.u [Nottingham Business School, Burton Street, Nottingham NG1 4BU (United Kingdom)

2010-10-15

Starting with evidence that United Kingdom Continental Shelf oil and gas companies have benefitted very disproportionately from the recent period of extraordinarily high oil prices, this paper traces the history of this weakness in the UK's petroleum fiscal regime. Evidence is provided that the progressive relaxations in the UK's petroleum fiscal regime in 1983, 1987-1988 and 1993 were: largely unnecessary to stimulate the development of new, smaller, 'marginal' fields; misguided in their assumption that such fields were more costly to develop than earlier counterparts or larger contemporary fields; and impotent compared with the effects of oil price movements. The paper concludes with a conceptualisation which illuminates why these failures of policy were not just random: they emerged from the UK's 'non-proprietorial' stance with respect to the country's oil and gas resources, a stance which assumes responsibility for oil company profitability and vainly tries to counter market forces at the expense of government revenues.

The introduction of anti-HTLV testing of blood donations and the risk of transfusion-transmitted HTLV, UK: 2002-2006.

Science.gov (United States)

Davison, K L; Dow, B; Barbara, J A; Hewitt, P E; Eglin, R

2009-02-01

The objectives of the study were to describe the introduction of testing blood donations for antibodies to human T-cell lymphotropic virus (anti-HTLV) and to determine the risk of HTLV potentially infectious donations entering the UK blood supply. The rationale for testing was based on (i) evidence of transmission through transfusion in the UK, (ii) the serious nature of HTLV I-associated morbidity and (iii) evidence of infection in UK blood donors. From mid-2002, all blood donations made at UK blood centres were tested in pooled samples using Abbott-Murex HTLV I/II GE 80/81 enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Surveillance data were used to calculate the incidence and prevalence of anti-HTLV and derive estimates of risk. Between August 2002 and December 2006, 106 donations were confirmed positive for anti-HTLV (95 anti-HTLV I and 11 anti-HTLV II). Prevalence was 10-fold higher among donations from new donors than repeat (4.0 and 0.42 per 100 000 donations), and only one repeat donor had evidence of seroconversion. The risk of an HTLV I potentially infectious donation entering the UK blood supply was estimated at 0.11 per million donations (95% confidence interval 0.06 to 0.18). The current very low observed incidence and prevalence among blood donors reflect the very low estimated risk of an HTLV I-positive donation entering the UK blood supply. A change in either the epidemiology of HTLV in UK blood donors or the length of the window period of the test should prompt further review of the risk and a reassessment of anti-HTLV testing in the UK.

Information literacy as the foundation for evidence-based practice in graduate nursing education: a curriculum-integrated approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobs, Susan Kaplan; Rosenfeld, Peri; Haber, Judith

2003-01-01

As part of a system-wide initiative to advance evidence-based practice among clinicians, graduate students, and educators, the New York University Division of Nursing embarked on a curricular initiative to integrate components of information literacy in all core courses of the master's program. Increasing competency in information literacy is the foundation for evidence-based practice and provides nursing professionals with the skills to be literate consumers of information in an electronic environment. Competency in information literacy includes an understanding of the architecture of information and the scholarly process; the ability to navigate among a variety of print and electronic tools to effectively access, search, and critically evaluate appropriate resources; synthesize accumulated information into an existing body of knowledge; communicate research results clearly and effectively; and appreciate the social issues and ethical concerns related to the provision, dissemination, and sharing of information. In collaboration with the New York University Division of Libraries' Health Sciences Librarian, instructional modules in information literacy relevant to each of the 5 core nursing master's courses were developed, complemented by a Web-based tutorial: http://library.nyu.edu/research/health/tutorial. The Web site is multifaceted, with fundamentals for the beginner, as well as more complex content for the advanced user. Course assignments were designed to promote specific competencies in information literacy and strategies for evaluating the strength of the evidence found. A survey of information literacy competencies, which assessed students' knowledge, misconceptions, and use of electronic information resources, was administered when students entered the program and at 1-year intervals thereafter.

NEWS: Solid foundations?

Science.gov (United States)

2000-07-01

Among the initiatives to be found at UK universities is a vocational award with the title `University Foundation Degree' at Nottingham Trent University. This qualification will be offered in 14 different subjects including four in the Faculty of Science and Mathematics, in the areas of applied biology, applied sciences, chemistry and physics. The courses will be available on a two-year full-time, three-year sandwich or a part-time basis. Set at a higher standard and specification than the Higher National Diplomas which it replaces, the UFD has been devised in consultation with industry and will cover the technical and specialist areas demanded by employers to combat skills shortages. The UFD in applied sciences concentrates on practical applications through laboratory, IT and project work, supported by lectures and seminars. At the end students can enter the employment market or transfer onto the second year of a degree course. Science-based careers including research and development would be the aim of those taking the UFD in physics. The first year develops the fundamentals of modern physics supported by studies in mathematics, IT and computer programming, whilst year 2 is vocational in nature with industrial problem solving and work experience as well as an academic theme associated with environmental aspects of the subject. Those who complete the UFD will be allowed automatic progression to a specified honours degree course and would normally be expected to study for a further two years for this award. However, those demonstrating an outstanding academic performance can transfer to the linked degree programme at the end of the first year via fast-track modules. Back in May the UK's Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) announced new standard benchmarks for degrees. These will be introduced into higher education institutions from 2002 to outline the knowledge, understanding and skills a student should gain from a particular higher education course. These benchmark

A national UK survey of radiology trainees special interest choices: what and why?

Science.gov (United States)

Parvizi, Nassim; Bhuva, Shaheel

2017-11-01

A national survey was designed to better understand factors influencing special interest choices, future aspirations of UK radiology trainees and perceptions of breast radiology. A SurveyMonkey questionnaire was developed and distributed to all radiology trainees in the UK through the British Institute of Radiology, RCR Junior Radiologists Forum and by directly contacting UK training schemes as well as by social media between December 2015 and January 2016. From 21 training schemes across the UK, 232 responses were received. Over half entered radiology after foundation training and 62% were ST1-3; one-fifth of trainees intended to leave the NHS. The most popular special interests were musculoskeletal (18%), abdominal imaging (16%) and neuroradiology (13%). Gynaecological and oncological imaging proved to be the least popular. Strong personal interest, a successful rotation during training, a mix of imaging modalities, direct impact on patient care and job prospects were the most popular factors influencing career choice. Research and potential for private income were the least influential factors. Respondents detailed their perceptions of breast radiology, selecting an awareness of career prospects (41%) and a better trainee experience (36%) as factors that would increase their interest in pursuing it as a career. Understanding the factors that influence special interest choice is essential to addressing the alarming staffing shortfalls that will befall certain radiology special interests. Addressing trainee's preconceptions and improving the trainee experience are key to attracting trainees to breast radiology. Advances in knowledge: This is the first survey of its kind in the UK literature designed to evaluate special interest career choices and the factors that influence those among radiology trainees.

The Reflective Foundation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lunde Jørgensen, Ida

Private foundations and cultural philanthropy by élites is viewed with increasing skepticism in recent years, begging the question of the extent to which foundations reflect on their role vis a vis wider societal norms. Through the prism of the New Carlsberg Foundation, financed by the brewery...... Carlsberg A/S, the paper seeks to elucidate the way in which one culturally significant foundation from Denmark has reflected on - and legitimated - its work and investments at critical moments in the past decades. The paper indicates a foundation with a high degree of reflection on the wider societal...

A Left-Sided Prevalence of Lentigo Maligna: A UK Based Observational Study and Review of the Evidence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark Gorman

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Skin cancer has been shown to present asymmetrically, prevalent on the left side of the body, more so in subtypes of cutaneous melanoma such as lentigo maligna. Biases have been linked to cumulative UV light exposure and automobile driving patterns. Though left-right ratios have previously correlated with the side men or women tend to position themselves or countries drive on, more recent trends indicate a consistent left-sided bias. To clarify reasons for changing trends, a review of the evidence base and LM’s laterality in a UK cohort (99 cases 2000–2011 was conducted for the first time. The strong correlation of left-sided excess, found in both genders (ratios 1.381–1.5, P<0.05  X2 0.841, is congruent with more recent findings. Though evidence indicates that driving position is no longer a risk factor for LM, due most likely to improved car window UV protection, it remains the most commonly attributed cause. Understanding phenomena such as UV lights “scatter effect” or that cumulative exposure may not be a significant risk factor helps rationalize older conclusions that would otherwise appear contradictory. The reasons for left-sided excess remain unclear but may be due to factors requiring further research such as the body’s anatomical/embryological asymmetry.

LTDNA Evidence on Trial

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Paul

2016-01-01

Adopting the interpretative/hermeneutical method typical of much legal scholarship, this article considers two sets of issues pertaining to LTDNA profiles as evidence in criminal proceedings. The section titled Expert Evidence as Forensic Epistemic Warrant addresses some rather large questions about the epistemic status and probative value of expert testimony in general. It sketches a theoretical model of expert evidence, highlighting five essential criteria: (1) expert competence; (2) disciplinary domain; (3) methodological validity; (4) materiality; and (5) legal admissibility. This generic model of expert authority, highlighting law's fundamentally normative character, applies to all modern forms of criminal adjudication, across Europe and farther afield. The section titled LTDNA Evidence in UK Criminal Trials then examines English and Northern Irish courts' attempts to get to grips with LTDNA evidence in recent cases. Better appreciating the ways in which UK courts have addressed the challenges of LTDNA evidence may offer some insights into parallel developments in other legal systems. Appellate court rulings follow a predictable judicial logic, which might usefully be studied and reflected upon by any forensic scientist or statistician seeking to operate effectively in criminal proceedings. Whilst each legal jurisdiction has its own unique blend of jurisprudence, institutions, cultures and historical traditions, there is considerable scope for comparative analysis and cross-jurisdictional borrowing and instruction. In the spirit of promoting more nuanced and sophisticated international interdisciplinary dialogue, this article examines UK judicial approaches to LTDNA evidence and begins to elucidate their underlying institutional logic. Legal argument and broader policy debates are not confined to considerations of scientific validity, contamination risks and evidential integrity, or associated judgments of legal admissibility or exclusion. They also crucially

LTDNA Evidence on Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Paul

2016-01-01

Adopting the interpretative/hermeneutical method typical of much legal scholarship, this article considers two sets of issues pertaining to LTDNA profiles as evidence in criminal proceedings. The section titled Expert Evidence as Forensic Epistemic Warrant addresses some rather large questions about the epistemic status and probative value of expert testimony in general. It sketches a theoretical model of expert evidence, highlighting five essential criteria: (1) expert competence; (2) disciplinary domain; (3) methodological validity; (4) materiality; and (5) legal admissibility. This generic model of expert authority, highlighting law's fundamentally normative character, applies to all modern forms of criminal adjudication, across Europe and farther afield. The section titled LTDNA Evidence in UK Criminal Trials then examines English and Northern Irish courts' attempts to get to grips with LTDNA evidence in recent cases. Better appreciating the ways in which UK courts have addressed the challenges of LTDNA evidence may offer some insights into parallel developments in other legal systems. Appellate court rulings follow a predictable judicial logic, which might usefully be studied and reflected upon by any forensic scientist or statistician seeking to operate effectively in criminal proceedings. Whilst each legal jurisdiction has its own unique blend of jurisprudence, institutions, cultures and historical traditions, there is considerable scope for comparative analysis and cross-jurisdictional borrowing and instruction. In the spirit of promoting more nuanced and sophisticated international interdisciplinary dialogue, this article examines UK judicial approaches to LTDNA evidence and begins to elucidate their underlying institutional logic. Legal argument and broader policy debates are not confined to considerations of scientific validity, contamination risks and evidential integrity, or associated judgments of legal admissibility or exclusion. They also crucially

In pursuit of a foundational accountancy philosophy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Buys

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Recent accounting history is characterised by many developments, including several high-profile corporate failures, such as Enron, Parmalat and even Saambou, as well as major developments in financial reporting standards, such as the broadbased acceptance of international financial reporting standards and the convergence efforts between the UK-based International Accounting Standards Board and the US-based Financial Accounting Standards Board. As a result, long-accepted accounting assumptions are being challenged in favour of new principles and practices. Furthermore, in academic circles the scientific foundation of accounting is being questioned. At many universities, limited education is taking place in the underlying theory and philosophy of accounting in favour of teaching prospective accountants how to pass difficult professional exams. Seen against this backdrop, a reconsideration of the objectives and purpose of accountancy may be overdue. This article attempts to illuminate the intrinsic assumptions and objectives of accountancy, seen in the light of modern-day accounting issues and developments.

An evaluation of the UK programme for CO{sub 2} reduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buchdahl, J.M.; Longhurst, J.W.S.; Rowe, E.J. [Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester (United Kingdom). Atmospheric Research and Information Centre, Dept. of Environmental and Geographic Sciences

1995-12-31

This paper is concerned with an evaluation of the UK national programme for carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) emission reduction, in the context of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. It assesses whether the precautionary approach, as it stands, fully meets the objective of the FCCC (Articla 2), in the light of current scientific evidence. It examines the approach of one developed economy, the UK, in developing its national programme and also the major issues which may affect the attainment of emissions abatement targets. 13 refs., 3 tabs.

UK national consensus conference on radwaste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Craven-Howe, Andrew

2000-01-01

UK CEED organised a consensus conference to debate radwaste disposal. It lasted from 21-24 May 1999. Among the witnesses called to give evidence were UKAEA, BNFL, Nuclear Industries' Inspectorate, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace. The end result was a report produced by the panel of members of the public, recording their views and recommendations. Conclusions are presented. (author)

ABIM Foundation

Science.gov (United States)

... In conjunction with the… mailchi.mp View on Facebook ABIM Foundation shared Business Radio Powered by The Wharton School's post. 2 days ago View on Facebook ABIM Foundation 2 days ago The Android version ...

Graduates of different UK medical schools show substantial differences in performance on MRCP(UK Part 1, Part 2 and PACES examinations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mollon Jennifer

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The UK General Medical Council has emphasized the lack of evidence on whether graduates from different UK medical schools perform differently in their clinical careers. Here we assess the performance of UK graduates who have taken MRCP(UK Part 1 and Part 2, which are multiple-choice assessments, and PACES, an assessment using real and simulated patients of clinical examination skills and communication skills, and we explore the reasons for the differences between medical schools. Method We perform a retrospective analysis of the performance of 5827 doctors graduating in UK medical schools taking the Part 1, Part 2 or PACES for the first time between 2003/2 and 2005/3, and 22453 candidates taking Part 1 from 1989/1 to 2005/3. Results Graduates of UK medical schools performed differently in the MRCP(UK examination between 2003/2 and 2005/3. Part 1 and 2 performance of Oxford, Cambridge and Newcastle-upon-Tyne graduates was significantly better than average, and the performance of Liverpool, Dundee, Belfast and Aberdeen graduates was significantly worse than average. In the PACES (clinical examination, Oxford graduates performed significantly above average, and Dundee, Liverpool and London graduates significantly below average. About 60% of medical school variance was explained by differences in pre-admission qualifications, although the remaining variance was still significant, with graduates from Leicester, Oxford, Birmingham, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and London overperforming at Part 1, and graduates from Southampton, Dundee, Aberdeen, Liverpool and Belfast underperforming relative to pre-admission qualifications. The ranking of schools at Part 1 in 2003/2 to 2005/3 correlated 0.723, 0.654, 0.618 and 0.493 with performance in 1999–2001, 1996–1998, 1993–1995 and 1989–1992, respectively. Conclusion Candidates from different UK medical schools perform differently in all three parts of the MRCP(UK examination, with the

Changing public interest in, and awareness of, acid deposition: some evidence from the UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Longhurst, J.W.S.; Bantock, J.; Hare, S.E.; Conlan, D.E.

1995-01-01

It is fundamental that the general public have access to usable environmental information on which they can base their decisions. Since 1984 the Atmospheric Research and Information Centre (ARIC) has operated a public information programme for the UK on the subject of acid deposition. The objective of the programme is to disseminate information on acid deposition without advocacy. ARIC provides enquiries with a broad range of authoritative and accurate facts and opinions from a wide range of parties from all sides of the debate. These sources include pressure groups, governmental bodies and industrialists from the UK and overseas. By deconstructing complex technical material and reassembling it for dissemination in a user friendly form, ARIC assists those receiving information to obtain a balanced perspective. This enables personal decision making within the context of the fullest information resource ARIC is able to provide. 8 refs., 4 tabs

Changing public interest in, and awareness of, acid deposition: some evidence from the UK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Longhurst, J.W.S.; Bantock, J.; Hare, S.E.; Conlan, D.E. [Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester (United Kingdom). Dept. of Environmental and Geographical Sciences

1995-12-01

It is fundamental that the general public have access to usable environmental information on which they can base their decisions. Since 1984 the Atmospheric Research and Information Centre (ARIC) has operated a public information programme for the UK on the subject of acid deposition. The objective of the programme is to disseminate information on acid deposition without advocacy. ARIC provides enquiries with a broad range of authoritative and accurate facts and opinions from a wide range of parties from all sides of the debate. These sources include pressure groups, governmental bodies and industrialists from the UK and overseas. By deconstructing complex technical material and reassembling it for dissemination in a user friendly form, ARIC assists those receiving information to obtain a balanced perspective. This enables personal decision making within the context of the fullest information resource ARIC is able to provide. 8 refs., 4 tabs.

The taxation of UK oil and gas production. Why the windfalls got away

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abdo, Hafez [Nottingham Business School, Burton Street, Nottingham NG1 4BU (United Kingdom)

2010-10-15

Starting with evidence that United Kingdom Continental Shelf oil and gas companies have benefitted very disproportionately from the recent period of extraordinarily high oil prices, this paper traces the history of this weakness in the UK's petroleum fiscal regime. Evidence is provided that the progressive relaxations in the UK's petroleum fiscal regime in 1983, 1987-1988 and 1993 were: largely unnecessary to stimulate the development of new, smaller, 'marginal' fields; misguided in their assumption that such fields were more costly to develop than earlier counterparts or larger contemporary fields; and impotent compared with the effects of oil price movements. The paper concludes with a conceptualisation which illuminates why these failures of policy were not just random: they emerged from the UK's 'non-proprietorial' stance with respect to the country's oil and gas resources, a stance which assumes responsibility for oil company profitability and vainly tries to counter market forces at the expense of government revenues. (author)

Effectiveness of UK provider financial incentives on quality of care: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Mandavia, Rishi; Mehta, Nishchay; Schilder, Anne; Mossialos, Elias

2017-11-01

Provider financial incentives are being increasingly adopted to help improve standards of care while promoting efficiency. To review the UK evidence on whether provider financial incentives are an effective way of improving the quality of health care. Systematic review of UK evidence, undertaken in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) recommendations. MEDLINE and Embase databases were searched in August 2016. Original articles that assessed the relationship between UK provider financial incentives and a quantitative measure of quality of health care were included. Studies showing improvement for all measures of quality of care were defined as 'positive', those that were 'intermediate' showed improvement in some measures, and those classified as 'negative' showed a worsening of measures. Studies showing no effect were documented as such. Quality was assessed using the Downs and Black quality checklist. Of the 232 published articles identified by the systematic search, 28 were included. Of these, nine reported positive effects of incentives on quality of care, 16 reported intermediate effects, two reported no effect, and one reported a negative effect. Quality assessment scores for included articles ranged from 15 to 19, out of a maximum of 22 points. The effects of UK provider financial incentives on healthcare quality are unclear. Owing to this uncertainty and their significant costs, use of them may be counterproductive to their goal of improving healthcare quality and efficiency. UK policymakers should be cautious when implementing these incentives - if used, they should be subject to careful long-term monitoring and evaluation. Further research is needed to assess whether provider financial incentives represent a cost-effective intervention to improve the quality of care delivered in the UK. © British Journal of General Practice 2017.

Aflibercept treatment for neovascular AMD beyond the first year: consensus recommendations by a UK expert roundtable panel, 2017 update

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patel PJ

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Praveen J Patel,1 Helen Devonport,2 Sobha Sivaprasad,1 Adam H Ross,3 Gavin Walters,4 Richard P Gale,5 Andrew J Lotery,6 Sajjad Mahmood,7 James S Talks,8 Jackie Napier9 1National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK; 2The Ophthalmology Department, Bradford Royal Infirmary, Bradford, UK; 3The Ophthalmology Department, Bristol Eye Hospital, Bristol, UK; 4Department of Ophthalmology, Harrogate District Hospital, Harrogate, UK; 5The Ophthalmology Department, The York Hospital and Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK; 6Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK; 7Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK; 8Newcastle Eye Centre, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK; 9Medical Affairs, Bayer plc, Reading, Berkshire, UK Abstract: National recommendations on continued administration of aflibercept solution for injection after the first year of treatment for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD have been developed by an expert panel of UK retina specialists, based on clinician experience and treatment outcomes seen in year 2. The 2017 update reiterates that the treatment goal is to maintain or improve the macular structural and functional gains achieved in year 1 while attempting to reduce or minimize the treatment burden, recognizing the need for ongoing treatment. At the end of year 1 (ie, the decision visit at month 11, two treatment options should be considered: do not extend the treatment interval and maintain fixed 8-weekly dosing, or extend the treatment interval using a treat-and-extend regimen up to a maximum 12 weeks. Criteria for considering not extending the treatment interval are persistent macular fluid with stable

Keeping agricultural soil out of rivers: evidence of sediment and nutrient accumulation within field wetlands in the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Ockenden, Mary C; Deasy, Clare; Quinton, John N; Surridge, Ben; Stoate, Chris

2014-03-15

Intensification of agriculture has resulted in increased soil degradation and erosion, with associated pollution of surface waters. Small field wetlands, constructed along runoff pathways, offer one option for slowing down and storing runoff in order to allow more time for sedimentation and for nutrients to be taken up by plants or micro-organisms. This paper describes research to provide quantitative evidence for the effectiveness of small field wetlands in the UK landscape. Ten wetlands were built on four farms in Cumbria and Leicestershire, UK. Annual surveys of sediment and nutrient accumulation in 2010, 2011 and 2012 indicated that most sediment was trapped at a sandy site (70 tonnes over 3 years), compared to a silty site (40 tonnes over 3 years) and a clay site (2 tonnes over 3 years). The timing of rainfall was more important than total annual rainfall for sediment accumulation, with most sediment transported in a few intense rainfall events, especially when these coincided with bare soil or poor crop cover. Nutrient concentration within sediments was inversely related to median particle size, but the total mass of nutrients trapped was dependent on the total mass of sediment trapped. Ratios of nutrient elements in the wetland sediments were consistent between sites, despite different catchment characteristics across the individual wetlands. The nutrient value of sediment collected from the wetlands was similar to that of soil in the surrounding fields; dredged sediment was considered to have value as soil replacement but not as fertiliser. Overall, small field wetlands can make a valuable contribution to keeping soil out of rivers. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

A qualitative investigation of Foundation Year 2 doctors' views on the European Working Time Directive.

Science.gov (United States)

Duncan, Myanna; Haslam, Cheryl

2015-01-01

PURPOSE - The purpose of this paper is to examine the personal views and experiences of Foundation Year 2 doctors operating under the European Working Time Directive (EWTD). DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH - In total, 36 Foundation Year 2 doctors from a single UK-based Deanery participated in this semistructured interview study. FINDINGS - Findings indicated that Foundation doctors typically welcomed a regulation of working hours, but reported frustration at the manner in which the Directive had been implemented. Participants reported concerns at reducing hours by removing out-of-hours working in order to meet EWTD requirements. Out-of-hours shifts were highly valued owing to their increased opportunities for autonomous clinical decision making. By contrast, day-shifts were regarded as heavily administrative in nature and were perceived as service provision. Foundation doctors discussed the unique nature of the out-of-hours working period which appeared to provide specific learning opportunities as doctors draw on time management and prioritisation skills. ORIGINALITY/VALUE - Given the challenges the EWTD presents, careful rota planning is essential. First, the authors would encourage the restructuring of day-shift work to provide a greater emphasis on hands-on skills experience in a supportive, supervised environment. Second, where possible, Foundation doctors might benefit from the opportunity to engage in some out-of-hours working, such as with multi-professional "Hospital at Night" teams. Third, the authors would encourage junior doctor involvement in rota design and planning which may increase their perceived autonomy and therefore buy-in of working practices.

Foundation Structure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2009-01-01

Method of installing a bucket foundation structure comprising one, two, three or more skirts, into soils in a controlled manner. The method comprises two stages: a first stage being a design phase and the second stage being an installation phase. In the first stage, design parameters are determined...... relating to the loads on the finished foundation structure; soil profile on the location; allowable installation tolerances, which parameters are used to estimate the minimum diameter and length of the skirts of the bucket. The bucket size is used to simulate load situations and penetration into foundation...

Environmental Foundations in Germany

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Krikser

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Foundations in Germany were examined in the context of environmental issues. Data from environmental foundations show that there is huge difference between private and public foundations concerning financial settings. Furthermore, environment is often not the only objective and sometimes not even processed. Our analysis shows that there are different types of foundations with regard to environmental scopes and activities. Although “attractive topics” such as biodiversity and landscape conservation seem to be more important to foundations, less visible topics such as pollution prevention remain merely a “blind spot.” Together, these findings suggest that there is only a limited potential of private foundations compared with public foundations. Nevertheless, there might be an impact on environmental awareness and local sustainability.

US line-ups outperform UK line-ups

OpenAIRE

Seale-Carlisle, Travis M.; Mickes, Laura

2016-01-01

In the USA and the UK, many thousands of police suspects are identified by eyewitnesses every year. Unfortunately, many of those suspects are innocent, which becomes evident when they are exonerated by DNA testing, often after having been imprisoned for years. It is, therefore, imperative to use identification procedures that best enable eyewitnesses to discriminate innocent from guilty suspects. Although police investigators in both countries often administer line-up procedures, the details ...

Cultural diversity training for UK healthcare professionals: a comprehensive nationwide cross-sectional survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Bentley, Paul; Jovanovic, Ana; Sharma, Pankaj

2008-10-01

Healthcare inequalities within the UK based on patients' ethnicity have been found over the last five years in a large number of medical specialties. One possible explanation for this lies in ignorance of ethnic minority healthcare needs among professionals. Cultural diversity programmes have been shown to improve patient outcomes including compliance, yet these are not as yet requirements for any UK healthcare professionals with the exception of psychiatrists. This paper documents the frequency, regional variation, characteristics and motivations for cultural diversity training through a questionnaire survey of the educational leads of every UK medical school, postgraduate deanery and schools of nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and pharmacy. The results showed a wide variation in teaching practices between healthcare professions and geographical regions. This study provides evidence for the need for national guidelines to incorporate cultural competency training by all UK healthcare professional training bodies.

An Emerging Theory for Evidence Based Information Literacy Instruction in School Libraries, Part 1: Building a Foundation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carol A. Gordon

2009-06-01

the learning task. On the micro level users are confronting information, and searching is seen as the entire process of the interaction of users with a series of information tasks, as described in Kuhlthau’s Information Search Process. The micro level is the level of deep understanding as critical thinking skills craft the connection between information and knowledge. On the macro level the learning task, designed by an instructional team, shapes the inquiry. It is the context for information tasks. The learning task is relevant, engaging, and rigorous to sustain the interest and interaction of the user with information and emerging knowledge. The macro level is the level of instruction whereby the learning task fosters self-reflection, self-correction, and self-regulation. The role of evidence, which is generated by performance assessment and action research, is critical to both levels. On each of these levels the learning task informs the information search. Conclusion – Evidence is the link between information and knowledge in the learning process called inquiry. Sources of this evidence are information tasks embedded in the learning task, which are nested in a teaching and learning culture of inquiry. In order to generate evidence continuously throughout the inquiry unit, the task is characterized by research-based tools such as performance-based assessment and action research. The synergy of these elements in Part 1 of this article establishes the foundation for building a theory that supports further research of evidence based information literacy instruction.

HSC Foundation

Science.gov (United States)

... in disability information or services and that add value to our existing programs. The Foundation also works to bring additional support to initiatives by serving as funding partners on projects that have local impact and national relevance. Supporting a Continuum of Care The HSC Foundation ...

Management of hip fractures in older people in Beijing: a retrospective audit and comparison with evidence-based guidelines and practice in the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, M; Gong, X; Rath, S; Wei, J; Yan, L L; Lamb, S E; Lindley, R I; Sherrington, C; Willett, K; Norton, R

2016-02-01

Despite the high burden of hip fracture in China, there is limited information on its management. This study investigated the management of hip fractures in a Beijing tertiary hospital and compared practice with that in 180 hospitals in the UK. The findings show a significant gap exists between the countries. The purpose of this study was to determine if the management of older people with hip fractures in a Beijing tertiary hospital is comparable with the UK best practice guidelines for hip fracture management and the UK National Hip Fracture Database 2012, obtained from 180 hospitals. A retrospective audit was undertaken in a large tertiary care hospital in Beijing. Data were compared with the National Hip Fracture Database 2012 collected in 180 hospitals in the UK on the proportion of patients managed according to the UK Blue Book standards. Sixty-six percent of patients were admitted to an orthopaedic ward within 24 h of fracture, while 100 % of patients in the UK were admitted to an orthopaedic ward within 24 h of arrival to an accident and emergency department. Only 8 % of patients received surgery within 48 h of admission compared with 83 % in the UK; 10 % received no surgery compared with 2.5 % in the UK; and 27 % received orthogeriatrician assessment compared with 70 % in the UK. New pressure ulcers developed in 2 % of patients compared with 3.7 % of those in the UK; whereas, 0.3 % of patients were assessed for osteoporosis treatment and 3.8 % received falls assessment, and comparable figures for the UK were 94 and 92 %, respectively. Significant gaps exist in hip fracture management in the Beijing hospital compared with the best practice achieved in 180 UK hospitals, highlighting the need to implement and evaluate proactive strategies to increase the uptake of best practice hip fracture care in China.

UK-trained junior doctors' intentions to work in UK medicine: questionnaire surveys, three years after graduation.

Science.gov (United States)

Surman, Geraldine; Goldacre, Michael J; Lambert, Trevor W

2017-12-01

Objective To report on the career intentions, three years after qualification, of 12 national cohorts of UK-trained doctors who qualified between 1974 and 2012, and, specifically, to compare recent UK medical graduates' intentions to work in medicine in the UK with earlier graduates. Design Questionnaire surveys of cohorts of UK medical graduates defined by year of graduation. Setting UK. Participants 30,272 UK medical graduates. Main outcome measures Stated level of intention to pursue a long-term career in medicine in the UK. Results The response rate was 62% (30,272/48,927). We examined responses to the question ' Apart from temporary visits abroad, do you intend to practise medicine in the United Kingdom for the foreseeable future?' Of doctors from UK homes, 90% had specified that they would 'definitely or probably' practise medicine in the UK in the surveys of 1977-1986, 81% in 1996-2011 and 64% in 2015. Those who said that they would probably or definitely not practise medicine in the UK comprised 5% in 1977-1986, 8% in 1996-2011 and 15% in 2015. Most who were not definite about a future career in UK medicine indicated that they would wish to practise medicine outside the UK rather than to leave medicine. Conclusions The wish to remain in UK medical practice in the 2015 survey was unprecedentedly low in this unique series of 40 years of surveys.

IQ AND SOCIOECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACROSS REGIONS OF THE UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Carl, Noah

2016-05-01

Cross-regional correlations between average IQ and socioeconomic development have been documented in many different countries. This paper presents new IQ estimates for the twelve regions of the UK. These are weakly correlated (r=0.24) with the regional IQs assembled by Lynn (1979). Assuming the two sets of estimates are accurate and comparable, this finding suggests that the relative IQs of different UK regions have changed since the 1950s, most likely due to differentials in the magnitude of the Flynn effect, the selectivity of external migration, the selectivity of internal migration or the strength of the relationship between IQ and fertility. The paper provides evidence for the validity of the regional IQs by showing that IQ estimates for UK nations (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) derived from the same data are strongly correlated with national PISA scores (r=0.99). It finds that regional IQ is positively related to income, longevity and technological accomplishment; and is negatively related to poverty, deprivation and unemployment. A general factor of socioeconomic development is correlated with regional IQ at r=0.72.

Open Letter to Research Councils UK: Rebuttal of ALPSP Critique

OpenAIRE

Berners-Lee, Tim; De Roure, Dave; Harnad, Stevan; Shadbolt, Nigel

2005-01-01

The Research Councils of the UK (RCUK) propose to require that the authors of all journal articles resulting from RCUK-funded research must make them openly accessible by self-archiving them on the web in order maximise their usage and impact. ALPSP (Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers) claim that this will have a negative effect on journals, but the only evidence they provide fails to support their claim and all existing evidence is to the contrary: Journal publication...

Can the transition process from foundation doctor to neurosurgical specialty trainee be improved through “learner-centered induction programs”?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Acharya V

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Vikas Acharya,1 Sami Mansour,2 Samuel M Amis,3 Amir Reyahi3 1Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire, 2Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, 3Luton and Dunstable University Hospital, Luton, UK Abstract: The transition period from foundation program doctor to specialty trainee can be difficult for junior doctors. This difficult period often acts as a major obstacle for learning in the workplace. Existing induction programs are commonly seen as inadequate at easing this transition, and therefore, a pilot study intervention was undertaken to assess if the initiation of “learner-centered induction programs” could help improve the confidence, knowledge acquisition, and satisfaction of junior doctors as they begin specialty training in neurosurgery. Ethnographic and anecdotal evidences were collated from junior doctors, specialty trainees, and consultants in order to investigate if further work on this subject would be beneficial. All participants were working in the Department of Neurosurgery at University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire, Coventry, UK, over a 4-week period in March/April 2015. A review of the relevant literature was also undertaken. This report found that despite the reservations around the increased organizational demands of induction programs of this nature, as well as concerns around a single junior doctor covering the ward alone during the induction period, feedback following the intervention was largely positive. Junior doctors appreciated being taught about their roles and responsibilities from their predecessors as well as deciding among themselves what topics they wanted covering. As a result, the induction sessions tended to focus on clinical skills rather than theoretical knowledge, which most of the junior doctors believed they could cover adequately in their own time. The junior doctors felt that they benefited from learning/refreshing their relevant practical

Energy research, development and demonstration in the UK. Minutes of evidence, Wednesday 11 April 1984, session 1983-84

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-01-01

The following aspects of nuclear power research in the UK were discussed: expenditure by UKAEA; fast reactor research and development to commercial scale, including cooperation with other European countries, and assessment of FBR budget over the next 5 to 10 years; JET project and the Next Step; work for the AGR reactors, including economics and safety aspects; present and future role of the UKAEA, having regard to nuclear and non-nuclear research programmes. (U.K.)

Factors Affecting Age at ASD Diagnosis in UK: No Evidence That Diagnosis Age Has Decreased between 2004 and 2014

Science.gov (United States)

Brett, Denise; Warnell, Frances; McConachie, Helen; Parr, Jeremy R.

2016-01-01

Clinical initiatives have aimed to reduce the age at ASD diagnosis in the UK. This study investigated whether the median age at diagnosis in childhood has reduced in recent years, and identified the factors associated with earlier diagnosis in the UK. Data on 2,134 children with ASD came from two large family databases. Results showed that the age…

Maturity and Interculturality: Chinese Students' Experiences in UK Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Qing

2009-01-01

Increasing global competition for students has witnessed an ever more rapid internationalisation of higher education. In the case of the UK, there has been a major influx of Chinese students to British universities since the launch of the British Government's long-term worldwide educational campaign in 1999. Drawing upon evidence from an extensive…

The value relevance of R & D reporting in the UK after IFRS mandatory implementation

OpenAIRE

Tsoligkas, F.; Tsalavoutas, I.

2011-01-01

Following IFRS mandatory adoption in 2005, the criteria determining the accounting treatment of R&D expenditure have changed for UK listed companies that publish consolidated financial statements. Therefore, recent literature raises concerns about the value relevance of R&D assets and expenses in the UK, after 2005. Using very recent data, we respond to these calls for research. Adding to the absence of prior evidence regarding the pre-IFRS period, we find that the capitalised portion...

Forensics and mitochondrial DNA: applications, debates, and foundations.

Science.gov (United States)

Budowle, Bruce; Allard, Marc W; Wilson, Mark R; Chakraborty, Ranajit

2003-01-01

Debate on the validity and reliability of scientific methods often arises in the courtroom. When the government (i.e., the prosecution) is the proponent of evidence, the defense is obliged to challenge its admissibility. Regardless, those who seek to use DNA typing methodologies to analyze forensic biological evidence have a responsibility to understand the technology and its applications so a proper foundation(s) for its use can be laid. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), an extranuclear genome, has certain features that make it desirable for forensics, namely, high copy number, lack of recombination, and matrilineal inheritance. mtDNA typing has become routine in forensic biology and is used to analyze old bones, teeth, hair shafts, and other biological samples where nuclear DNA content is low. To evaluate results obtained by sequencing the two hypervariable regions of the control region of the human mtDNA genome, one must consider the genetically related issues of nomenclature, reference population databases, heteroplasmy, paternal leakage, recombination, and, of course, interpretation of results. We describe the approaches, the impact some issues may have on interpretation of mtDNA analyses, and some issues raised in the courtroom.

Cultural dimensions in the transition of overseas medical graduates to the UK workplace.

Science.gov (United States)

Morrow, Gill; Rothwell, Charlotte; Burford, Bryan; Illing, Jan

2013-10-01

Historically, overseas-qualified doctors have been essential for meeting service needs in the UK National Health Service (NHS). However, these doctors encounter many cultural differences, in relation to training, the healthcare system and the doctor-patient relationship and training. To examine whether Hofstede's cultural model may help us understand the changes doctors from other countries experience on coming to work in the UK, and to identify implications for supervisors and clinical teams. Telephone interviews were conducted with overseas medical graduates before starting work as a Foundation Year One (F1) doctor, followed up after four months and 12 months; and with educational supervisors. Data were analysed using a confirmatory thematic approach. Sixty-four initial interviews were conducted with overseas doctors, 56 after four months, and 32 after 12 months. Twelve interviews were conducted with educational supervisors. The changes doctors experienced related particularly to Hofstede's dimensions of power distance (e.g. in relation to workplace hierarchies and inter-professional relationships), uncertainty avoidance (e.g. regarding ways of interacting) and individualism-collectivism (e.g., regarding doctor-patient/family relationship; assertiveness of individuals). Hofstede's cultural dimensions may help us understand the adaptations some doctors have to make in adjusting to working in the UK NHS. This may promote awareness and understanding and greater 'cultural competence' amongst those working with them or supervising them in their training.

Food allergy - science and policy needs - The UK Food Standards Agency Research Programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buck, Joelle; Hattersley, Sue; Kimber, Ian

2010-01-01

Food allergy is a significant health issue in the UK, affecting between 1 and 2% of adults and 5 and 8% of children. The UK Food Standards Agency seeks to ensure the safety of food allergic consumers by providing them with information and guidance on food choices. Since 1995, with the aim of addressing important policy issues and improving the quality of the support and guidance available for food allergic consumers, the Agency (and before that the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food), has had a programme of research dedicated to investigating the causes and mechanisms of food allergy and delivering benefits for UK consumers. In this paper, we outline some of the major scientific challenges that the programme has sought to address. We reflect on how the findings have been used as a basis for the development of sound, evidence-based policy and advice for UK consumers, and the current direction of research being supported by the programme.

Benchmarking of venous thromboembolism prophylaxis practice with ENT.UK guidelines.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Qahtani, Ali S

2017-05-01

The aim of this study was to benchmark our guidelines of prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in ENT surgical population against ENT.UK guidelines, and also to encourage healthcare providers to utilize benchmarking as an effective method of improving performance. The study design is prospective descriptive analysis. The setting of this study is tertiary referral centre (Assir Central Hospital, Abha, Saudi Arabia). In this study, we are benchmarking our practice guidelines of the prevention of VTE in the ENT surgical population against that of ENT.UK guidelines to mitigate any gaps. ENT guidelines 2010 were downloaded from the ENT.UK Website. Our guidelines were compared with the possibilities that either our performance meets or fall short of ENT.UK guidelines. Immediate corrective actions will take place if there is quality chasm between the two guidelines. ENT.UK guidelines are evidence-based and updated which may serve as role-model for adoption and benchmarking. Our guidelines were accordingly amended to contain all factors required in providing a quality service to ENT surgical patients. While not given appropriate attention, benchmarking is a useful tool in improving quality of health care. It allows learning from others' practices and experiences, and works towards closing any quality gaps. In addition, benchmarking clinical outcomes is critical for quality improvement and informing decisions concerning service provision. It is recommended to be included on the list of quality improvement methods of healthcare services.

Heat waves and cold spells: an analysis of policy response and perceptions of vulnerable populations in the UK

OpenAIRE

Johanna Wolf; W Neil Adger; Irene Lorenzoni

2010-01-01

Heat waves and cold spells pose ongoing seasonal risks to the health and well-being of vulnerable individuals. Current attempts to address these risks in the UK are implemented through fuel-poverty strategies and heat-wave planning. This paper examines evidence from the UK on whether heat waves and cold spells are addressed differently by public policy in the UK given that risks are mediated by similar perceptions that shape behavioural responses by vulnerable individuals. It is based on a re...

Thermodynamic and carbon analyses of micro-generators for UK households

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allen, S.R.; Hammond, G.P.

2010-01-01

Micro-generators have the potential to reduce carbon emissions and enhance energy security by providing heat or electricity either from renewable sources, or via the more efficient use of fossil fuels. Such potential is often, however, unquantified or unclear, and hence a thermodynamic and related carbon analysis of micro-generators for UK household energy supply has been performed. Where pertinent, the thermodynamic concept of exergy is employed alongside that of energy. Analysis begins with a description of the established methods of energy supply to, and use within, typical UK households. On these foundations a grid-tied micro-wind turbine, a grid-tied solar photovoltaic array, and a solar hot-water system are analysed. Annual outputs are estimated and contextualised against the demands of representative households. The annual energy-resource and carbon savings provided by the micro-generators are determined on the basis that they (partially) displace the established supply systems. Savings are then compared with the energy-resource and carbon-emission 'debts' of the micro-generators, to assess the latter's net performance. Given appropriate installations, all three micro-generators are found to provide significant net energy and carbon benefits, confirming that all three technologies can provide net reductions in both carbon emissions and dependence on conventional energy resources.

Shells on elastic foundations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, Y.C.; Kedia, K.K.

1977-01-01

No realistic analytical work in the area of Shells on Elastic Foundations has been reported in the literature. Various foundation models have been proposed by several authors. These models involve one or more than one parameters to characterise the foundation medium. Some of these models cannot be used to derive the basic equations governing the behaviour of shells on elastic foundations. In the present work, starting from an elastic continuum hypothesis, a mathematical model for foundation has been derived in curvilinear orthogonal coordinates by the help of principle of virtual displacements, treating one of the virtual displacements as known to satisfy certain given conditions at its edge surfaces. In this model, several foundation parameters can be considered and it can also be used for layered medium of both finite and infinite thickness. (Auth.)

Training on handover of patient care within UK medical schools

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Morris Gordon

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Much evidence exists to demonstrate that poor handover can directly impact patient safety. There have been calls for formal education on handover, but evidence to guide intervention design and implementation is limited. It is unclear how undergraduate medical schools are tackling this issue and what barrier or facilitators exist to handover education. We set out to determine curriculum objectives, teaching and assessment methods, as well as institutional attitudes towards handover within UK medical schools. Methods: A descriptive, non-experimental, cross-sectional study design was used. A locally developed online questionnaire survey was sent to all UK Medical Schools, after piloting. Descriptive statistics were calculated for closed-ended responses, and free text responses were analysed using a grounded theory approach, with constant comparison taking place through several stages of analysis. Results: Fifty percent of UK medical schools took part in the study. Nine schools (56% reported having curriculum outcomes for handover. Significant variations in the teaching and assessments employed were found. Qualitative analysis yielded four key themes: the importance of handover as an education issue, when to educate on handover, the need for further provision of teaching and the need for validated assessment tools to support handover education. Conclusions: Whilst undergraduate medical schools recognised handover as an important education issue, they do not feel they should have the ultimate responsibility for training in this area and as such are responding in varying ways. Undergraduate medical educators should seek to reach consensus as to the extent of provision they will offer. Weaknesses in the literature regarding how to design such education have exacerbated the problem, but the contemporaneous and growing published evidence base should be employed by educators to address this issue.

Empirical Evidence Illuminating Gendered Regimes in UK Higher Education: Developing a New Conceptual Framework

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paula Burkinshaw

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Debates on the absence of women in senior organizational roles continue to proliferate but relatively little attention is paid to the Higher Education (HE context in which women in leadership roles are seriously under-represented. However, higher education is now central to UK political discourse given the growing controversy around student fees, vice chancellors’ remuneration’ and Brexit. This paper draws on a collaborative research study on the experiences of 105 senior women leaders across 3 UK Universities, which elicited accounts of constraints, successes and career highlights. Our research findings present empirical insights that expose the continuing gender inequalities most notable in senior Higher Education roles. Women’s accounts include stories of diverse experiences, on-going discriminatory practices and a failure to recognise the embedded gendered inequalities that continue to prevail in these institutions. Through a critical interrogation of the narratives of female professors and building on insights from a seminal paper by Broadbridge and Simpson a conceptual framework is offered as a heuristic device to capture critical and reflexive data in future studies of equality and inequality in leadership roles.

Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation

Science.gov (United States)

... Foundation Experts Can Answer Your Questions! The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation's team of experts is available to answer ... a law firm. Read more about the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation . TO GET HELP CALL: (877) End-Meso ...

The effect of functional hearing loss and age on long- and short-term visuospatial memory: evidence from the UK biobank resource

OpenAIRE

Rönnberg, Jerker; Hygge, Staffan; Keidser, Gitte; Rudner, Mary

2014-01-01

The UK Biobank offers cross-sectional epidemiological data collected on > 500 000 individuals in the UK between 40 and 70 years of age. Using the UK Biobank data, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of functional hearing loss and hearing aid usage on visuospatial memory function. This selection of variables resulted in a sub-sample of 138 098 participants after discarding extreme values. A digit triplets functional hearing test was used to divide the participants into three g...

Use of reinforced soil foundation (RSF) to support shallow foundation.

Science.gov (United States)

2008-11-01

The main objective of this research study is to investigate potential benefits of using the reinforced soil foundations to improve the bearing capacity and to reduce the settlement of shallow foundations on soils. This includes examining influences o...

A foundation for foundation phase teacher education: Making wise educational judgements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karin Murris

2014-12-01

Full Text Available We start our paper with a critical exploration of the current ‘back to basics’ approach in South African foundation phase teacher education with its emphasis on strengthening the teaching of subject knowledge. We claim that such a proposal first demands an answer to the question ‘what is foundational in foundation phase teaching?’ We propose an answer in three stages. First we argue that teacher education should be concerned not only with schooling or qualification (knowledge, skills and dispositions and socialisation, but, drawing on Gert Biesta’s work, also with subjectification (educating the person towards the ability to make wise educational judgements. Secondly, these three aims of education lead to five core principles, and we finish by showing how these principles inform our storied, thinking and multimodal/semiotic curriculum. Our answer to our leading question is that pedagogical ‘know-how’ and views of ‘child’ and ‘childhood’ constitute the subject knowledge that is foundational in the foundation phase curriculum.

Can current analytical quality performance of UK clinical laboratories support evidence-based guidelines for diabetes and ischaemic heart disease?--A pilot study and a proposal.

Science.gov (United States)

Jassam, Nuthar; Yundt-Pacheco, John; Jansen, Rob; Thomas, Annette; Barth, Julian H

2013-08-01

The implementation of national and international guidelines is beginning to standardise clinical practice. However, since many guidelines have decision limits based on laboratory tests, there is an urgent need to ensure that different laboratories obtain the same analytical result on any sample. A scientifically-based quality control process will be a pre-requisite to provide this level of analytical performance which will support evidence-based guidelines and movement of patients across boundaries while maintaining standardised outcomes. We discuss the finding of a pilot study performed to assess UK clinical laboratories readiness to work to a higher grade quality specifications such as biological variation-based quality specifications. Internal quality control (IQC) data for HbA1c, glucose, creatinine, cholesterol and high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol were collected from UK laboratories participating in the Bio-Rad Unity QC programme. The median of the coefficient of variation (CV%) of the participating laboratories was evaluated against the CV% based on biological variation. Except creatinine, the other four analytes had a variable degree of compliance with the biological variation-based quality specifications. More than 75% of the laboratories met the biological variation-based quality specifications for glucose, cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol. Slightly over 50% of the laboratories met the analytical goal for HBA1c. Only one analyte (cholesterol) had a performance achieving the higher quality specifications consistent with 5σ. Our data from IQC do not consistently demonstrate that the results from clinical laboratories meet evidence-based quality specifications. Therefore, we propose that a graded scale of quality specifications may be needed at this stage.

Education, Occupation and Career Expectations: Determinants of the Gender Pay Gap for UK Graduates

OpenAIRE

Arnaud Chevalier

2006-01-01

Despite anti-discrimination policies, women are paid 20% less then men in the UK. A large proportion of this wage gap is usually left unexplained. In this paper, I investigate whether the unexplained component is due to misspecification. Using a sample of recent UK graduates, I examine the role of choice variables (subject of study and occupation) as well as career expectations and aspirations. The evidence indicates that women are more altruistic and less career-oriented than men. Career bre...

Paediatric post-burn scar management in the UK: a national survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Liuzzi, Francesca; Chadwick, Sarah; Shah, Mamta

2015-03-01

Thermal injuries affect 250,000 people annually in the United Kingdom. As burn survival improves, good scar management is paramount to help individuals living with the resultant scars lead a life without restrictions. Post-burn hypertrophic scars can limit growth in children, interfere with function and cause psychological problems. In the current literature there is great variation in post-burn scar management across the world and in the evidence available for the efficacy of these management modalities. The aim of this study was to investigate the variances if any, in the management of post-burn scarring in children across the UK. A telephone survey of UK paediatric burn services was conducted to obtain information on post-burn scar management and advice given to patients/carers. Of the 19 burn services that participated, all advised moisturising of scars but with variable emphasis on massaging. Silicones and pressure therapy were used by 18 services but commencement of use varied from soon after healing to onset of hypertrophic scarring. Laser therapy, ultrasound therapy and steroid therapy were used sporadically. This study highlights the common modalities of post-burn scar management in children across the UK. However, there is marked variation in timing and selection of the commonly used modalities. Although this study did not investigate the outcomes of scar management, it clearly identifies the need for a well-designed multi-centred study to establish evidence-based best practice in the management of post-burn scarring in children as these modalities are time consuming and not without potential complications. Evidence based practice could potentially lead to significant financial savings to the health service. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

Foundations for renewables

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neidlein, H.C. [German Agency Scherer Schnell Walser und Partner (Germany)

2007-07-01

In Germany, 77 foundations promote renewable energy technology with around Euro 25 million annually. The most important internationally active foundations, however, can be found in the Anglo-Saxon countries. (orig.)

Seasonal variation of radon concentrations in UK homes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miles, J C H; Howarth, C B; Hunter, N

2012-01-01

The patterns of seasonal variation of radon concentrations were measured in 91 homes in five regions of the UK over a period of two years. The results showed that there was no significant difference between the regions in the pattern or magnitude of seasonal variation in radon concentrations. The arithmetic mean variation was found to be close to that found previously in the UK national survey. Differences in the pattern between the two years of the study were not significant. Two-thirds of homes in the study followed the expected pattern of high radon in the winter and low radon in the summer. Most of the rest showed little seasonal variation, and a few showed a reversed seasonal pattern. The study does not provide any clear evidence for the recorded house characteristics having an effect on the seasonal variation in radon concentrations in UK homes, though the statistical power for determining such effects is limited in this study. The magnitude of the seasonal variation varied widely between homes. Analysis of the individual results from the homes showed that because of the wide variation in the amount of seasonal variation, applying seasonal correction factors to the results of three-month measurements can yield only relatively small improvements in the accuracy of estimates of annual mean concentrations.

Static Behaviour of Bucket Foundations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Kim André

One new foundation concept in relation to offshore wind turbines is bucket foundations. The concept is known from the oil and gas industry, though the load conditions here are significantly different. The bucket foundation can be used as monopod or e.g. tripod foundations for offshore wind turbines....... The monopod concept is investigated in this thesis, regarding the static behaviour from loads relevant to offshore wind turbines. The main issue in this concept is the rotational stiffness of the foundation and the combined capacity dominated by moments. The vertical bearing capacity of bucket foundations...... theory is proposed. The proposed expression applies to plane strain as well as axis-symmetric stress conditions for foundations with smooth or rough bases. A thorough experimental investigation of the static behaviour of bucket foundations subjected to combined loading is carried out. Laboratory tests...

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS CONTRIBUTION TO BUSINESS SCHOOLS IN THE UK HEIs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Trevor Uyi OMORUYI

2014-11-01

Full Text Available International students’ contribution to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs tends to be considered from different aspects. There is an inadequate substantiation base that would allow academics, researchers and other stakeholders understand the importance of overseas students in the UK Business Schools. This paper investigates the contribution of international students to Business School in the UK HEIs. The research was exploratory and part of a bigger project on how and why Business Schools in the UK use Relationship Marketing to retain international students. It employed semi-structured interviews with 18 members of staff from four Business Schools in the North of England. Findings indicate that international students’ definition tends to differ amongst staff members within the Business Schools. Business Schools’ management perceive overseas students as an integral part of their institutions, especially as their overall contributions cannot be over-emphasised. The sample size and use of semi-structured interviews, as a single data gathering strategy, does not allow broad generalisation of findings. The obtained evidence can still be used as a platform for further research in this area.

Police custody health care: a review of health morbidity, models of care and innovations within police custody in the UK, with international comparisons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

McKinnon IG

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Iain G McKinnon,1,2 Stuart DM Thomas,3–5 Heather L Noga,6 Jane Senior7 1Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Academic Psychiatry, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, 2Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK; 3School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 4Legal Intersections Research Centre, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 5Southern Clinical School, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia; 6School of Criminology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada; 7Offender Health Research Network, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK Abstract: This paper is a scoping review of the available evidence regarding health care issues in police custody. It describes the types and prevalence of health disorders encountered in custody and provides an overview of current practice and recent innovations in police custody health care. In contrast to the health of prisoners, the health of police custody detainees has, until recently, received little academic or clinical attention. Studies on health care in police custody identified for this review are limited to a few geographical jurisdictions, including the UK, continental Europe, North America, and Australia. There are significant health concerns among police detainees including acute injury, chronic physical health problems, mental and cognitive disorders, and the risks associated with drug and alcohol intoxication or withdrawal. There is some evidence that deaths in police custody have reduced where attention has been paid to the latter issue. Police personnel continue to experience difficulties identifying detainees with health issues relevant to their safe detention, but research shows that the use of evidence-based screening tools improves detection of such morbidities. Innovations in police custody health care mainly relate to detainees with mental disorders, including improved identification of illness

Toxicology Education Foundation

Science.gov (United States)

... bodies and our world. Welcome to the Toxicology Education Foundation! Our mission is to enhance public understanding ... In with us, follow our Tweets, choose Toxicology Education Foundation as your preferred charity through Smile.Amazon. ...

Skin Cancer Foundation

Science.gov (United States)

... Host a Fundraising Event | About Us | Store The Skin Cancer Foundation The Skin Cancer Foundation is the ... Handbook A "Sunscreen Gene"? Skin Cancer Facts & Statistics Skin Cancer Treatment Glossary Information on medications and procedures ...

Acute myocardial infarction: a comparison of short-term survival in national outcome registries in Sweden and the UK

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Sheng-Chia; Gedeborg, Rolf; Nicholas, Owen; James, Stefan; Jeppsson, Anders; Wolfe, Charles; Heuschmann, Peter; Wallentin, Lars; Deanfield, John; Timmis, Adam; Jernberg, Tomas; Hemingway, Harry

2014-01-01

Summary Background International research for acute myocardial infarction lacks comparisons of whole health systems. We assessed time trends for care and outcomes in Sweden and the UK. Methods We used data from national registries on consecutive patients registered between 2004 and 2010 in all hospitals providing care for acute coronary syndrome in Sweden and the UK. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality 30 days after admission. We compared effectiveness of treatment by indirect casemix standardisation. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01359033. Findings We assessed data for 119 786 patients in Sweden and 391 077 in the UK. 30-day mortality was 7·6% (95% CI 7·4–7·7) in Sweden and 10·5% (10·4–10·6) in the UK. Mortality was higher in the UK in clinically relevant subgroups defined by troponin concentration, ST-segment elevation, age, sex, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diabetes mellitus status, and smoking status. In Sweden, compared with the UK, there was earlier and more extensive uptake of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (59% vs 22%) and more frequent use of β blockers at discharge (89% vs 78%). After casemix standardisation the 30-day mortality ratio for UK versus Sweden was 1·37 (95% CI 1·30–1·45), which corresponds to 11 263 (95% CI 9620–12 827) excess deaths, but did decline over time (from 1·47, 95% CI 1·38–1·58 in 2004 to 1·20, 1·12–1·29 in 2010; p=0·01). Interpretation We found clinically important differences between countries in acute myocardial infarction care and outcomes. International comparisons research might help to improve health systems and prevent deaths. Funding Seventh Framework Programme for Research, National Institute for Health Research, Wellcome Trust (UK), Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions, Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation. PMID:24461715

Solar energy: a UK assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1976-01-01

A panel convened by UK-ISES to analyze all aspects of solar energy systems and to assess the potential for solar energy utilization and research and development needs in the UK and for export is reported. Topics covered include: solar energy in relation to other energy sources; international solar energy research and development program; the physical nature of solar energy and its availability in the UK and other countries; thermal collection, storage, and low-temperature applications; solar energy and architecture; solar thermal power systems; solar cells; agricultural and biological systems; photochemical systems; social, legal, and political considerations with particular reference to the UK; and future policy on solar research and development for the UK. (WDM)

The Danish Industrial Foundations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Steen

and governed, what role it plays in the Danish economy, and how industrial foundation-owned companies perform. The book is the result of a large collaborative research project, led by the author, on industrial foundations. Some global companies such as IKEA, Robert Bosch or the Tata Group are foundation...

Grouting for Pile Foundation Improvement

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van der Stoel, A.E.C.

2001-01-01

The aim of this research was to examine the use of grouting methods for pile foundation improvement, a generic term that is used here to define both foundation renovation (increasing the bearing capacity of a pile foundation that has insufficient bearing capacity) and foundation protection

Headteacher Career Paths in UK Independent Secondary Coeducational Schools: Gender Issues

Science.gov (United States)

McLay, Margaret

2008-01-01

This article presents evidence of the similarities and differences in the career paths of men and women who have achieved headships in UK independent coeducational schools. The research comprised a pilot study of interviews with nine female headteachers and a questionnaire sent to male and female heads of coeducational secondary schools. It…

Leveraged Buyouts in the U.K. and Continental Europe : Retrospect and Prospect

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wright, M.; Renneboog, L.D.R.; Simons, T.; Scholes, L.

2006-01-01

Abstract: Management buy-outs have become a global phenomenon. This paper examines the key market trends in the UK and Continental Europe and identifies challenges for the future development of the market. Key recent trends include: buy-out funds raised have exceeded funds invested; evidence from

A foundation for foundation phase teacher education: Making wise educational judgements

OpenAIRE

Karin Murris; Clare Verbeek

2014-01-01

We start our paper with a critical exploration of the current ‘back to basics’ approach in South African foundation phase teacher education with its emphasis on strengthening the teaching of subject knowledge. We claim that such a proposal first demands an answer to the question ‘what is foundational in foundation phase teaching?’ We propose an answer in three stages. First we argue that teacher education should be concerned not only with schooling or qualification (knowledge, skills and disp...

The main determinants of international student identification with a UK middle ranking business school corporate brand: an international marketing perspective

OpenAIRE

Mahmoud, Rudaina

2014-01-01

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University. The aim of this study is to make a theoretical contribution vis-à-vis the main determinants of international student identification with a middle ranking business school corporate brand. The findings of this study are of foundational significance in theory building terms. A substantive theory of international postgraduate student identification in UK middle ranking business school corporate b...

Towards a Zero Carbon Vision for UK Transport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Whitelegg, John; Haq, Gary; Cambridge, Howard; Vallack, Harry

2010-07-01

The report presents a phased programme of technological, financial and behavioural changes could secure the following potential cuts in (CO2 ) emissions compared to business-as-usual approach: - 100 per cent in road transport (cars and lorries); - 100 per cent in rail transport; - 56 per cent in aviation; - 49 per cent in shipping. The resulting overall reduction for transport in the UK by 2050 is 76%. It takes an evidence-based approach meaning that reductions are only included if there are already-available experience showing that reductions can be achieved. Further policy approaches might be possible but the report demonstrates what can be achieved just with policies for which there is already good evidence for their practical delivery

Corporate governance and CEO pay: Evidence from UK Travel and Leisure listed firms

OpenAIRE

Al-Najjar, Basil

2017-01-01

This paper investigates from the UK context, the impact of board and CEO characteristics on CEO compensation in Travel and Leisure firms. Namely we employ, board size, board independence and board meetings to reflect board characteristics. We also include two CEO features, CEO tenure and CEO age into our models. Using panel data analysis, the findings in this paper indicate that board size, board independence and CEO age are important factors affecting CEO pay. In addition, we report a positi...

A review of the costs and benefits of demand response for electricity in the UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bradley, Peter; Leach, Matthew; Torriti, Jacopo

2013-01-01

The recent policy discussion in the UK on the economic case for demand response (DR) calls for a reflection on available evidence regarding its costs and benefits. Existing studies tend to consider the size of investments and returns of certain forms of DR in isolation and do not consider economic welfare effects. From review of existing studies, policy documents, and some simple modelling of benefits of DR in providing reserve for unforeseen events, we demonstrate that the economic case for DR in UK electricity markets is positive. Consideration of economic welfare gains is provided. - Highlights: ► The paper clearly articulates the range of benefits and costs from demand response. ► Estimates for benefits and costs are converted into a broadly comparable basis. ► It is found that a positive case exists for demand response in the UK. ► New quantitative modelling is provided for one UK benefit not found in the literature. ► Economic welfare gain is considered in assessment; other UK papers do not consider such effects.

Designing and recruiting to UK autism spectrum disorder research databases: do they include representative children with valid ASD diagnoses?

Science.gov (United States)

Warnell, F; George, B; McConachie, H; Johnson, M; Hardy, R; Parr, J R

2015-09-04

(1) Describe how the Autism Spectrum Database-UK (ASD-UK) was established; (2) investigate the representativeness of the first 1000 children and families who participated, compared to those who chose not to; (3) investigate the reliability of the parent-reported Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnoses, and present evidence about the validity of diagnoses, that is, whether children recruited actually have an ASD; (4) present evidence about the representativeness of the ASD-UK children and families, by comparing their characteristics with the first 1000 children and families from the regional Database of children with ASD living in the North East (Dasl(n)e), and children and families identified from epidemiological studies. Recruitment through a network of 50 UK child health teams and self-referral. Parents/carers with a child with ASD, aged 2-16 years, completed questionnaires about ASD and some gave professionals' reports about their children. 1000 families registered with ASD-UK in 30 months. Children of families who participated, and of the 208 who chose not to, were found to be very similar on: gender ratio, year of birth, ASD diagnosis and social deprivation score. The reliability of parent-reported ASD diagnoses of children was very high when compared with clinical reports (over 96%); no database child without ASD was identified. A comparison of gender, ASD diagnosis, age at diagnosis, school placement, learning disability, and deprivation score of children and families from ASD-UK with 1084 children and families from Dasl(n)e, and families from population studies, showed that ASD-UK families are representative of families of children with ASD overall. ASD-UK includes families providing parent-reported data about their child and family, who appear to be broadly representative of UK children with ASD. Families continue to join the databases and more than 3000 families can now be contacted by researchers about UK autism research. Published by the BMJ

The articulation of neoliberalism: narratives of experience of chronic illness management in Bulgaria and the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Vassilev, Ivaylo; Rogers, Anne; Todorova, Elka; Kennedy, Anne; Roukova, Poli

2017-03-01

The shift from social democratic to a neoliberal consensus in modern welfare capitalist states is characterised by an emphasis on individual responsibility, consumer choice, market rationality and growing social inequalities. There has been little exploration of how neoliberalism has shaped the environment within which chronic illness is experienced and managed. This article explores the different articulations of neoliberalism manifest in the arena of personal illness management in Bulgaria and the UK. People with type 2 diabetes discussed their experiences in terms of struggling with diet, diabetes as a personal failure, integrating illness management and valued activities, and the trustworthiness of the healthcare system. The UK narratives were framed within an individual responsibility discourse while in Bulgaria lack of resources dominated discussions, which were framed as structurally generated and unrelated to individual capabilities and choices. Respondents faced personal management challenges related to consumer and healthcare market failures in both countries. Differences in market regulation and emerging stakeholder and interest coalitions influenced users' expectations and their navigation and adaption to market failures in managing their everyday illnesses. The UK and Bulgarian articulations of neoliberalism can be described differently: the first as a logic of managed choice and the second as a logic of unmanaged consumerism. © 2016 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness.

Risk Assessment in the UK Health and Safety System: Theory and Practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karen Russ

2010-09-01

Full Text Available In the UK, a person or organisation that creates risk is required to manage and control that risk so that it is reduced 'So Far As Is Reasonably Practicable' (SFAIRP. How the risk is managed is to be determined by those who create the risk. They have a duty to demonstrate that they have taken action to ensure all risk is reduced SFAIRP and must have documentary evidence, for example a risk assessment or safety case, to prove that they manage the risks their activities create. The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE does not tell organisations how to manage the risks they create but does inspect the quality of risk identification and management. This paper gives a brief overview of where responsibility for occupational health and safety lies in the UK, and how risk should be managed through risk assessment. The focus of the paper is three recent major UK incidents, all involving fatalities, and all of which were wholly avoidable if risks had been properly assessed and managed. The paper concludes with an analysis of the common failings of risk assessments and key actions for improvement.

'Greenfields' and 'Brownfields': automotive industrial development in the UK and in Portugal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mário Vale

1996-12-01

Full Text Available The industrial policy in the UK and in Portugal, as in most EU countries, seeks to attract new investment capacity, to create jobs and to promote the impact of the so-called "demonstration efect" of "greenfield" development strategies pursued in the new plants of inward investors on existing or "brownfield" plants. This industrial policy focus is particularly evident in the automobile industry.This paper compares the industrial policy oriented towards the automobile industry in the UK and in Portugal. Two recent "greenfield" investments are analised: Nissan in the North-East region (UK and Ford/VW in the Setúbal Peninsula (Portugal, as well as three "brownfield" plants: Ford Halewood and GM Vauxhall Ellesmere Port in the North-West region (UK and Renault in Setúbal (Portugal. The first part starts with a discussion of industrial policy in the automobile sector, the role of "greenfield" development strategies and the "demonstration effect" on "brownfield" plants. Then, the limits of new inward investment are pointed out, basically their problems and restrictions. Afterwards, the structural barriers to the "demonstration effect" within "brownfield" plants are outlined and some possabilities for alternative "brownfield" development strategies are presented.

Risk Assessment in the UK Health and Safety System: Theory and Practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Russ, Karen

2010-09-01

In the UK, a person or organisation that creates risk is required to manage and control that risk so that it is reduced 'So Far As Is Reasonably Practicable' (SFAIRP). How the risk is managed is to be determined by those who create the risk. They have a duty to demonstrate that they have taken action to ensure all risk is reduced SFAIRP and must have documentary evidence, for example a risk assessment or safety case, to prove that they manage the risks their activities create. The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not tell organisations how to manage the risks they create but does inspect the quality of risk identification and management. This paper gives a brief overview of where responsibility for occupational health and safety lies in the UK, and how risk should be managed through risk assessment. The focus of the paper is three recent major UK incidents, all involving fatalities, and all of which were wholly avoidable if risks had been properly assessed and managed. The paper concludes with an analysis of the common failings of risk assessments and key actions for improvement.

Dissecting dividend decisions: some clues about the effects of dividend taxation from recent UK reforms

OpenAIRE

Stephen Bond; Michael Devereux; Alexander Klemm

2005-01-01

We present empirical evidence which suggests that a big increase in dividend taxation for UK pension funds in July 1997 affected the form in which some UK companies chose to make dividend payments, but otherwise had limited effects on both the level of dividend payments and the level of investment. These findings are consistent with a version of the 'new view' of dividend taxation. We also identify a group of firms whose dividend choices are difficult to reconcile with (stock market) value ma...

Solar panel foundation device

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hawley, W.W.

1983-03-29

A transportable solar panel foundation device which has a bottom member, at least one upstanding side member, and an essentially open top. The side members are angled to permit nesting of a plurality of the foundation devices, and reinforcement pads are carried by the foundation device to support legs for one or more solar panels.

Variation in assessment and standard setting practices across UK undergraduate medicine and the need for a benchmark.

Science.gov (United States)

MacDougall, Margaret

2015-10-31

The principal aim of this study is to provide an account of variation in UK undergraduate medical assessment styles and corresponding standard setting approaches with a view to highlighting the importance of a UK national licensing exam in recognizing a common standard. Using a secure online survey system, response data were collected during the period 13 - 30 January 2014 from selected specialists in medical education assessment, who served as representatives for their respective medical schools. Assessment styles and corresponding choices of standard setting methods vary markedly across UK medical schools. While there is considerable consensus on the application of compensatory approaches, individual schools display their own nuances through use of hybrid assessment and standard setting styles, uptake of less popular standard setting techniques and divided views on norm referencing. The extent of variation in assessment and standard setting practices across UK medical schools validates the concern that there is a lack of evidence that UK medical students achieve a common standard on graduation. A national licensing exam is therefore a viable option for benchmarking the performance of all UK undergraduate medical students.

The impact of the UK National Minimum Wage on mental health

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christoph Kronenberg

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Despite an emerging literature, there is still sparse and mixed evidence on the wider societal benefits of Minimum Wage policies, including their effects on mental health. Furthermore, causal evidence on the relationship between earnings and mental health is limited. We focus on low-wage earners, who are at higher risk of psychological distress, and exploit the quasi-experiment provided by the introduction of the UK National Minimum Wage (NMW to identify the causal impact of wage increases on mental health. We employ difference-in-differences models and find that the introduction of the UK NMW had no effect on mental health. Our estimates do not appear to support earlier findings which indicate that minimum wages affect mental health of low-wage earners. A series of robustness checks accounting for measurement error, as well as treatment and control group composition, confirm our main results. Overall, our findings suggest that policies aimed at improving the mental health of low-wage earners should either consider the non-wage characteristics of employment or potentially larger wage increases.

The impact of the UK National Minimum Wage on mental health.

Science.gov (United States)

Kronenberg, Christoph; Jacobs, Rowena; Zucchelli, Eugenio

2017-12-01

Despite an emerging literature, there is still sparse and mixed evidence on the wider societal benefits of Minimum Wage policies, including their effects on mental health. Furthermore, causal evidence on the relationship between earnings and mental health is limited. We focus on low-wage earners, who are at higher risk of psychological distress, and exploit the quasi-experiment provided by the introduction of the UK National Minimum Wage (NMW) to identify the causal impact of wage increases on mental health. We employ difference-in-differences models and find that the introduction of the UK NMW had no effect on mental health. Our estimates do not appear to support earlier findings which indicate that minimum wages affect mental health of low-wage earners. A series of robustness checks accounting for measurement error, as well as treatment and control group composition, confirm our main results. Overall, our findings suggest that policies aimed at improving the mental health of low-wage earners should either consider the non-wage characteristics of employment or potentially larger wage increases.

Forward the Foundation: Local Education Foundations Offer an Alternative Source for School Funding

Science.gov (United States)

Brooks-Young, Susan

2007-01-01

February's column "Going Corporate" discussed ideas for approaching private foundations for funding. Some districts take this idea several steps further by partnering with the community and local businesses to establish a not-for-profit foundation, or local education foundation (LEF). It probably comes as no surprise that the idea of forming a LEF…

The contribution of geology and groundwater studies to city-scale ground heat network strategies: A case study from Cardiff, UK

Science.gov (United States)

Boon, David; Farr, Gareth; Patton, Ashley; Kendall, Rhian; James, Laura; Abesser, Corinna; Busby, Jonathan; Schofield, David; White, Debbie; Gooddy, Daren; James, David; Williams, Bernie; Tucker, David; Knowles, Steve; Harcombe, Gareth

2016-04-01

monitoring have provided an initial indication of ground constraints and opportunities supporting development of aquifer thermal energy systems in Cardiff. Ground models should consider the past and future anthropogenic processes that influence and modify the condition of the ground. These include heat losses from buildings, modification of the groundwater regime by artificial pumping, sewers, and other GSH schemes, and construction hazards such as buried infrastructure, old foundations, land contamination and un-exploded ordnance. This knowledge base forms the foundation for a 'whole life' approach for sustainable thermal use of the subsurface. Benefits of the approach include; timely and easy to understand information for land use and financial resource planning, reduced financial risk for developers and investors, clear evidence to help improve public perception of GSHP technology, and provision of independent environmental data to satisfy the needs of the regulator. References: Patton, A.M., Farr, G.J., Boon, D.P., James, D.R., Williams, B., Newell, A.J. 2015. Shallow Groundwater Temperatures and the Urban Heat Island Effect: the First U.K City-wide Geothermal Map to Support Development of Ground Source Heating Systems Strategy. Geophysical Research Abstracts. EGU 2015 Vienna, Austria. (Poster)

Strategic marketing in the UK tobacco industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Susan; Hastings, Gerard; MacFadyen, Lynn

2002-08-01

Tobacco-industry marketing has played a central part in the global spread of tobacco use and addiction. Although the absolute size of the tobacco market has dwindled, the industry is still immensely successful, largely due to sophisticated and manipulative marketing strategies. The UK tobacco industry identifies target groups and builds enduring relationships based on careful brand management. Potential customers are exposed to brands which are likely to appeal to them most. Tobacco companies tailor their products to target markets by altering the content of tar and nicotine, and by adding flavourings to produce a distinctive taste. Marketing strategies ensure that the products are promoted heavily at the point of sale, and directed advertising and sponsorship agreements are used to increase the visibility of the brand and strengthen its image. Tobacco companies also target non-consumer organisations such as retailers and policy makers with the aim of creating the best possible business environment for tobacco sales. We review published evidence, internal-advertising-agency documents, and observational data about tobacco promotion, and discuss the use of targeted marketing strategies in the UK.

Can Innate, modular "foundations" explain morality? Challenges for Haidt's Moral Foundations Theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Suhler, Christopher L; Churchland, Patricia

2011-09-01

Jonathan Haidt's Moral Foundations Theory is an influential scientific account of morality incorporating psychological, developmental, and evolutionary perspectives. The theory proposes that morality is built upon five innate "foundations," each of which is believed to have been selected for during human evolution and, subsequently, tuned-up by learning during development. We argue here that although some general elements of Haidt's theory are plausible, many other important aspects of his account are seriously flawed. First, innateness and modularity figure centrally in Haidt's account, but terminological and conceptual problems foster confusion and ambiguities. Second, both the theory's proposed number of moral foundations and its taxonomy of the moral domain appear contrived, ignoring equally good candidate foundations and the possibility of substantial intergroup differences in the foundations' contents. Third, the mechanisms (viz., modules) and categorical distinctions (viz., between foundations) proposed by the theory are not consilient with discoveries in contemporary neuroscience concerning the organization, functioning, and development of the brain. In light of these difficulties, we suggest that Haidt's theory is inadequate as a scientific account of morality. Nevertheless, the theory's weaknesses are instructive, and hence, criticism may be useful to psychologists, neuroscientists, and philosophers attempting to advance theories of morality, as well as to researchers wishing to invoke concepts such as innateness and modularity more generally.

Children and war: the work of the Children and War Foundation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William Yule

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The Children and War Foundation was established after the authors’ experiences following the civil war in former Yugoslavia in the mid-1990s. Many organizations tried to mitigate the effects of the war on children but few interventions were based on evidence and fewer were properly evaluated. The Foundation was established in Norway with the aim of promoting better evidence-based interventions to help children after wars and natural disasters.The Foundation has developed a number of empirically grounded manuals that aim to help children learn strategies that will lessen the stress reactions that they have developed. The manuals are designed to be delivered by personnel who are not necessarily very experienced in child mental health. They are aimed at groups of children using a public health approach to reach large numbers in a short space of time. The strategies are not intended as individual therapy.The Teaching Recovery Techniques manual has been used following a number of earthquakes and other natural disasters and data from a number of these will be discussed. A Writing for Recovery manual is aimed at helping adolescents and is based on the seminal work of James Pennebaker. It is currently being evaluated in three separate studies. A group-based manual to help children bereaved by war or disaster has recently been developed.

Binding Moral Foundations and the Narrowing of Ideological Conflict to the Traditional Morality Domain.

Science.gov (United States)

Malka, Ariel; Osborne, Danny; Soto, Christopher J; Greaves, Lara M; Sibley, Chris G; Lelkes, Yphtach

2016-09-01

Moral foundations theory (MFT) posits that binding moral foundations (purity, authority, and ingroup loyalty) are rooted in the need for groups to promote order and cohesion, and that they therefore underlie political conservatism. We present evidence that binding foundations (and the related construct of disgust sensitivity) are associated with lower levels of ideological polarization on political issues outside the domain of moral traditionalism. Consistent support for this hypothesis was obtained from three large American Internet-based samples and one large national sample of New Zealanders (combined N = 7,874). We suggest that when political issues do not have inherent relevance to moral traditionalism, binding foundations promote a small centrist shift away from ideologically prescribed positions, and that they do so out of desire for national uniformity and cohesion. © 2016 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

UK role 4 military infection services: past, present and future.

Science.gov (United States)

Dufty, Ngozi E; Bailey, M S

2013-09-01

NATO describes 'Role 4' military medical services as those provided for the definitive care of patients who cannot be treated within a theatre of operations and these are usually located in a military force's country of origin and may include the involvement of civilian medical services. The UK Defence Medical Services have a proud history of developing and providing clinical services in infectious diseases and tropical medicine, sexual health and HIV medicine, and medical microbiology and virology. These UK Role 4 Military Infection Services have adapted well to recent overseas deployments, but new challenges will arise due to current military cutbacks and a greater diversity of contingency operations in the future. Further evidence-based development of these services will require leadership by military clinicians and improved communication and support for 'reach-back' services.

Does Intellectual Capital Disclosure Matter for Audit Risk? Evidence from the UK and Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chiara Demartini

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Disclosure theory argues that better information quality reduces audit risk, by decreasing information asymmetry in the market and consequently, information risk for firms. Extant literature on voluntary disclosure analyzes the relationships between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR and audit risk, finding that auditors charge lower fees and issue less going concern opinions to firms with good CSR performance. In this study, we test the relationship between intellectual capital disclosure (ICD and audit risk and we assess the effect of ICD and audit risk on audit fees. To do so, we use data from the ESG Asset4 database (Thomson Reuters Datastream on 166 UK and 27 Italian listed firms that issue stand-alone social and intellectual capital statements. The audit risk is measured from both a qualitative and a quantitative perspective. Panel data analysis on 2004–2011 years has been used to test our research hypotheses. Empirical findings from a sample of UK and Italian listed companies show that auditors estimate a lower qualitative risk, albeit a higher quantitative one, for those companies reporting higher ICD scores, compared to those ones with lower disclosure scores on the intellectual capital. Furthermore, we find that reputation risk contributes to the relationship between ICD and audit risk.

Turning the tide : tidal power in the UK

OpenAIRE

Sustainable Development Commission

2007-01-01

Contents: Turning the tide : tidal power in the UK -- Executive summary -- Tidal power in the UK : research report 1 : UK tidal resource assessment -- Tidal power in the UK : research report 2 : tidal technologies overview -- Tidal power in the UK : research report 3 : Severn barrage proposals -- Tidal power in the UK : research report 4 : Severn non-barrage options -- Tidal power in the UK : research report 5 : UK case studies. Summarised in the Welsh language version of the executive ...

E-cigarette regulation and policy: UK vapers' perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Farrimond, Hannah

2016-06-01

The rapid increase in use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) has created an international policy dilemma concerning how to use these products. This study assesses the types of beliefs that e-cigarette users in the United Kingdom may hold concerning regulation. Qualitative thematic analysis of written answers to open-ended questions. United Kingdom, questionnaire conducted by post, 44% recruited from online forums and 56% non-online. Fifty-five UK vapers, 55% male, mean age 46 years, 84% sole users of e-cigarettes, 95% vaping daily. Open-ended questions on regulatory and policy options. 'Protecting youth' was seen as a fundamental regulatory requirement which should be achieved through childproofing, age limits, no advertising aimed at children and health warnings about addictiveness of nicotine, but not the restriction of flavours. There was little support for regulating e-cigarettes as medicines or limiting the strength of nicotine liquids. In terms of public use, participants argued against a blanket ban on public vaping given perceptions of a lack of scientific evidence of harm. However, they supported the principle of autonomy, that individuals and organizations have the right to restrict vaping. Some participants suggested banning vaping in places such as schools, hospitals or around food, in line with current smoking norms. Vapers' regulatory positions were accompanied by political concerns about the use (and misuse) of scientific evidence. With regard to regulation of e-cigarettes, issues that are salient to UK vapers may include the need for youth protection, regulation as medicines, strength of e-liquids, bans on public vaping and concerns about the misuse of scientific evidence. © 2016 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Do Charitable Foundations Spend Money Where People Need It Most? A Spatial Analysis of China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yongze Song

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Charitable foundations are a critical part of public services. However, there is a large gap between the locations and expenditures of charitable foundations and the real population needs for most nations. Three types of Chinese local charity foundations, i.e., those for poverty, education and medical assistance, are used as examples to explore the distinct gaps. The spatial distributions of local charity foundations are characterized by spatial scan statistics and spatial autocorrelation models. The local population needs of charitable assistance for poverty, education and medical services are quantified with their respective weighted proxy indexes of the current conditions. Thus, the nonlinear relationships between population needs and the expenditures of local charitable foundations are described with generalized additive models. The results show that both the participation rate and the charity expenditures of the foundations are highly clustered within a few cities where the population needs are relatively small and are furthermore rare among the other cities. The charity expenditures of local foundations are nonlinearly correlated with the current conditions of socioeconomic development, education and medical levels due to the diverse development stages of the cities. This study provides quantitative evidence for local authorities and charitable foundations to make targeted and constructive decisions to gradually reduce the distinct gaps.

Fraying at the Edges: UK Surrogacy Law in 2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Horsey, Kirsty

2016-11-01

This commentary examines a series of high-profile surrogacy cases decided in 2015. Taken singly or together, these cases serve to illustrate how the UK's law on surrogacy—in particular its provisions regarding eligibility for parental orders—is not only out of date but also becoming nonsensical. These problems culminate in an evident inability of the law to protect the best interests of children born through surrogacy and indicate strongly a need for reform.

A survey to determine the potential impact of foundation year career aims on surgical specialty training.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Rikesh Kumar; Sayers, Adele Elizabeth; Akbar, Muhammad Jawaid; Hunter, Iain Andrew

2014-03-01

The competition for Core Surgical Training (CST) positions and subsequent Surgical Specialty Training (ST3) posts throughout the UK is fierce. Our aim was to conduct a pilot study to assess whether current foundation year doctors were considering pursuing a career in surgery and the reasons guiding their decisions. A ten-item questionnaire was voluntarily completed by foundation doctors at a large acute teaching trust. Factors evaluated included: experience working within a surgical rotation; previous consideration of a career in surgery; whether they found a career in surgery appealing; reasons guiding their decision and would they be applying to CST. All 67 foundation doctors approached agreed to participate: of which 56 (83.6%) had experience working within a surgical rotation. Males were significantly more likely to find a career in surgery appealing (p career, only 11 (16.4%) would be applying to CST. Reasons for finding a career in surgery appealing included: job satisfaction (84.2%), diversity of work (79.0%) and working environment/colleagues (47.4%). Of those that did not consider a career in surgery to be appealing, reasons included: working hours (75.0%), work/life balance (62.5%), working environment/colleagues (50%). Although only a small proportion of current foundation doctors were surveyed in our study, only 16.4% were considering applying for CST. These figures are lower than previously suggested and would indicate that there will be fewer applicants for CST in future years, which may potentially reduce the current bottleneck of applicants at ST3.

Structure and staffing of radiotherapy physics in the UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thwaites, D I

1995-01-01

In 1989 IPSM brought out a policy document on the role of the physical scientist in radiotherapy. At roughly the same time IPSM also produced recommended minimum staffing levels for the medical physics support of radiotherapy, which drew heavily on comprehensive reviews of both physicist and physics technician staffing carried out by the Scottish Radiotherapy Physicists Group in 1980 (updated in 1989). The IPSM figures remain professional recommendations and have not been taken up by any official body. However some of the Scottish figures were included in a SHHD Planning Council Scientific Advisory report and so have some measure of official endorsement. All these figures were derived specifically for the UK situation of essentially regional oncology centres, where generally medium to large radiotherapy departments are the norm, to concentrate equipment, expertise and experience. Thus there are approximately 60 centres for a population of 55 million. In addition the recommendations reflect the typical structure of UK departments, in terms of professional roles and relationships. The current situation regarding physicist and physics technician numbers is reviewed, using evidence from recent surveys. The UK and other recommendations are applied to a number of representative centres and the figures obtained are compared to each other and to the actual staffing levels

DETERMINANTS AND OPTIMAL LEVEL OF CORPORATE CASH HOLDINGS: EVIDENCE FROM US, UK AND JAPAN

OpenAIRE

Zhang, Shan Shan

2013-01-01

This paper firstly investigates the empirical determinants of corporate cash holdings for a sample of listed US, UK and Japanese firms during the 2000-2012 period. Through applying the pooled time-series cross-sectional estimations, cross-sectional estimations and GMM two-step method of estimations, the results reveal that firms’ cash flow, cash flow variability, bank debt and degree of shareholders protection and creditor protection all have inverse relationship with cash holdings. Contraril...

A national evaluation of workplace-based assessment tools (WPBAs) in foundation dental training: a UK study. Effective and useful but do they provide an equitable training experience?

Science.gov (United States)

Kirton, J A; Palmer, N O A; Grieveson, B; Balmer, M C

2013-03-01

A questionnaire study was undertaken with trainers and trainees from 12 deaneries in England and Northern Ireland in June 2010 to evaluate workplace-based assessments (WPBAs) in foundation training. From the sample consisting of 741 trainers and 643 foundation trainees, experience of WPBAs was positive overall, playing an important role in trainees' learning during foundation training and building confidence. However, there is a need for comprehensive training in the WPBA tools used to ensure their efficacy.

Doctors' views about training and future careers expressed one year after graduation by UK-trained doctors: questionnaire surveys undertaken in 2009 and 2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Maisonneuve, Jenny J; Lambert, Trevor W; Goldacre, Michael J

2014-12-21

The UK medical graduates of 2008 and 2009 were among the first to experience a fully implemented, new, UK training programme, called the Foundation Training Programme, for junior doctors. We report doctors' views of the first Foundation year, based on comments made as part of a questionnaire survey covering career choices, plans, and experiences. Postal and email based questionnaires about career intentions, destinations and views were sent in 2009 and 2010 to all UK medical graduates of 2008 and 2009. This paper is a qualitative study of 'free-text' comments made by first-year doctors when invited to comment, if they wished, on any aspect of their work, education, training, and future. The response rate to the surveys was 48% (6220/12952); and 1616 doctors volunteered comments. Of these, 61% wrote about their first year of training, 35% about the working conditions they had experienced, 33% about how well their medical school had prepared them for work, 29% about their future career, 25% about support from peers and colleagues, 22% about working in medicine, and 15% about lifestyle issues. When concerns were expressed, they were commonly about the balance between service provision, administrative work, and training and education, with the latter often suffering when it conflicted with the needs of medical service provision. They also wrote that the quality of a training post often depended on the commitment of an individual senior doctor. Service support from seniors was variable and some respondents complained of a lack of team work and team ethic. Excessive hours and the lack of time for reflection and career planning before choices about the future had to be made were also mentioned. Some doctors wrote that their views were not sought by their hospital and that NHS management structures did not lend themselves to efficiency. UK graduates from non-UK homes felt insecure about their future career prospects in the UK. There were positive comments about

“Bad Mum Guilt”: The Representation of ‘Work-Life Balance’ in UK Women’s Magazines

OpenAIRE

Sullivan, Cath

2014-01-01

The social policy climate, labour market trends and gendered arrangements for paid and family work mean that ‘work-life balance’ remains a key social issue in the UK. Media representations of ‘work-life balance’ are a key source for the construction of gender and working motherhood. Despite evidence of gendered representations in media coverage of other social issues, little attention has been paid to the construction of work-life balance in UK women's magazines. Articles from the highest cir...

UK retail marketing survey 94

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1994-01-01

This document draws together data on the United Kingdom (UK) petroleum market up to the end of 1993. Lists include suppliers of petrol to the UK market listed by brand name, a regional breakdown of petrol and derv outlets, UK outlets which retail derv. Average retail prices for motor spirit and derv per litre are given as are sites fitted with Vapour Recovery equipment. Other tables shown indicate various companies' share of the market in terms of the percentage of petrol sites, including supermarkets. The volumes of motor spirit and derv delivered to retail and commercial customers between 1984 and 1993 is also given. (UK)

The Normative Foundation of Legal Orders: A Balance between Reciprocity and Mutuality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pessers, D.

2014-01-01

Reciprocity seems to figure as a self-evident normative foundation of legal orders. Yet a clear understanding of the often opaque role that reciprocity plays in this regard demands drawing a conceptual distinction. This article views reciprocity as a social morality of duties, in opposition to

Innovative UK Approaches to Acquisition Management

Science.gov (United States)

2009-05-01

Financial and Operational Imperatives Size of UK armed forces UK Industry ? Political influence PFI / PPP Increased Scrutiny - NAO “ Commercialisation “ of the...acquisition KNOWLEDGE (EXPERIENCE – Lessons learned) KNOWLEDGE (Training) KNOWLEDGE ( Education ) OPTIMAL OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE Operational Capability UK

Improving the Use of Technology Enhanced Learning Environments in Higher Education in the UK: A Qualitative Visualization of Students' Views

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, Mark; Dunn, Thomas J.

2018-01-01

In recent years, the use of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) has risen exponentially throughout higher education in the UK. Whilst TEL is an umbrella term for a range of technologies, evidence suggests that in the UK, TEL is usually delivered via the medium of Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) for the provision of lecture materials and…

Obtaining antibiotics online from within the UK: a cross-sectional study

Science.gov (United States)

Boyd, Sara Elizabeth; Moore, Luke Stephen Prockter; Gilchrist, Mark; Costelloe, Ceire; Castro-Sánchez, Enrique; Franklin, Bryony Dean; Holmes, Alison Helen

2017-01-01

Background: Improved antibiotic stewardship (AS) and reduced prescribing in primary care, with a parallel increase in personal internet use, could lead citizens to obtain antibiotics from alternative sources online. Objectives: A cross-sectional analysis was performed to: (i) determine the quality and legality of online pharmacies selling antibiotics to the UK public; (ii) describe processes for obtaining antibiotics online from within the UK; and (iii) identify resulting AS and patient safety issues. Methods: Searches were conducted for ‘buy antibiotics online’ using Google and Yahoo. For each search engine, data from the first 10 web sites with unique URL addresses were reviewed. Analysis was conducted on evidence of appropriate pharmacy registration, prescription requirement, whether antibiotic choice was ‘prescriber-driven’ or ‘consumer-driven’, and whether specific information was required (allergies, comorbidities, pregnancy) or given (adverse effects) prior to purchase. Results: Twenty unique URL addresses were analysed in detail. Online pharmacies evidencing their location in the UK (n = 5; 25%) required a prescription before antibiotic purchase, and were appropriately registered. Online pharmacies unclear about the location they were operating from (n = 10; 50%) had variable prescription requirements, and no evidence of appropriate registration. Nine (45%) online pharmacies did not require a prescription prior to purchase. For 16 (80%) online pharmacies, decisions were initially consumer-driven for antibiotic choice, dose and quantity. Conclusions: Wide variation exists among online pharmacies in relation to antibiotic practices, highlighting considerable patient safety and AS issues. Improved education, legislation, regulation and new best practice stewardship guidelines are urgently needed for online antibiotic suppliers. PMID:28333179

Sexual orientation health inequality: Evidence from Understanding Society, the UK Longitudinal Household Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Booker, Cara L; Rieger, Gerulf; Unger, Jennifer B

2017-08-01

Few studies from the United Kingdom have fully investigated inequalities between members of different sexual minority groups and heterosexuals over range of health outcomes. Using data from over 40,000 individuals, this study explores the health inequalities of sexual minority UK adults. We include respondents who identify as other and those who prefer not to say (PNS). Data come from wave three (2011-2012) of the nationally-representative Understanding Society, the UK Household Longitudinal Study. Sexual orientation was asked in the self-completion portion of the study. Markers of health include physical and mental functioning, minor psychological distress, self-rated health, substance use and disability. Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses tested for differences in markers of health between sexual orientation groups. Overall, heterosexual respondents had the best health while bisexual respondents had the worst. Gay and lesbian respondents reported poorer health than heterosexuals, specifically with regards to mental functioning, distress and illness status. The other and PNS respondents were most similar to each other and generally experienced fewer health inequalities than gay and lesbian respondents; they were less likely to use tobacco or alcohol. In sum, sexual minorities experience health inequality. The inclusion of other and PNS respondents has not been done in other studies and shows that while they may be healthier than gay/lesbian and bisexual respondents they still experiences poorer health than heterosexuals. Health promotion interventions are needed for these other and PNS individuals, who might not participate in interventions targeted toward known sexual minority groups. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Use of reinforced soil foundation (RSF) to support shallow foundation : summary report.

Science.gov (United States)

2008-05-01

This research study investigates the potential benefits of using reinforced soil foundations to improve the bearing capacity and reduce the settlement of shallow foundations on soils. To implement this objective, a total of 117 tests, including 38 la...

SCOPS and COWS--'worming it out of UK farmers'.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, M A

2012-05-04

Infections with gastrointestinal roundworms are an important cause of production losses in sheep and cattle. Worm control is a vital part of health and production management in sheep flocks and cattle herds in the UK, and good control is highly dependent on effective anthelmintics. Unfortunately, a direct and unavoidable consequence of using anthelmintics to control worm populations is selection for individuals that are resistant to the chemicals used. If left unchecked, anthelmintic resistance (AR) could prove to be one of the biggest challenges to sheep and cattle production and animal welfare within the UK. As a consequence of increasing reports of AR in sheep, a working group, "SCOPS" (sustainable control of parasites in sheep) was formed in 2003 with representatives from the UK sheep industry to promote practical guidelines for sheep farmers and their advisors. This led to the production of guidelines for 'sustainable worm control strategies for sheep' intended for veterinarians and sheep advisors, plus ongoing promotional literature aimed at farmers. Whilst there is some evidence of emerging resistance in roundworms of cattle, it appears to still be at a very low level in the UK. However the potential presence of such AR in cattle worms has been seen as a timely warning, which if ignored, could lead to a not dissimilar AR situation to that seen in sheep, and in other cattle areas around the world. Reports of AR in UK cattle nematodes have generally been limited to a small number of anecdotal reports of treatment failure with some macrocyclic lactone (ML) products, especially those formulated as pour-on preparations, and invariably involving the dose-limiting species, Cooperia oncophora. As a consequence of these observations, guidelines have been produced similar to those for sheep, for sustainable worm control strategies for cattle "COWS" (control of worms sustainably), and were launched in May 2010. Uptake and effectiveness of SCOPS recommendations are

The UK biomass industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Billins, P.

1998-01-01

A brief review is given of the development of the biomass industry in the UK. Topics covered include poultry litter generation of electricity, gasification plants fuelled by short-rotation coppice, on-farm anaerobic digestion and specialized combustion systems, e.g. straw, wood and other agricultural wastes. (UK)

Governance and legitimacy aspects of the UK biofuel carbon and sustainability reporting system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Upham, Paul; Tomei, Julia; Dendler, Leonie

2011-01-01

Biofuel policy has become highly contentious in Europe. In this paper we discuss the governance and legitimacy aspects of the carbon and sustainability system of the UK Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), both before and after implementation of the Renewable Energy Directive. RTFO certification is of a meta-type, being built upon existing certification and labelling schemes, each of which are more or less contested by NGOs. Despite the RTFO being based on these non-state initiatives, so far the concerns of environment and development NGOs and others have not been given serious expression in regulatory terms. Indeed, biofuel policy development in the UK has arguably been unduly non-responsive to critical opinion, given the limited scientific base on biofuel impacts and the reliance of RTFO sustainability certification on non-state actors and schemes. Drawing on documentary evidence, interviews and three sets of literatures - co-production of regulation; post-normal science; and legitimacy of non-state certification and labelling processes - we suggest that until concerned voices are given a stronger expression in UK and EC biofuel policy development, the policy cannot yet be said to have achieved a wide social mandate. - Research highlights: → Interviews with largely non-commercial actors show a high level of concern about EC/UK biofuel policy. → The scientific uncertainties and complexity of biofuels justify inclusive policy development. → Statutory UK and EC biofuel certification will rely heavily on non-state actors and processes.→ EC/UK biofuel certification can learn from legitimisation processes more usually relevant to non-state initiatives.

Governance and legitimacy aspects of the UK biofuel carbon and sustainability reporting system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Upham, Paul, E-mail: Paul.upham@manchester.ac.u [Manchester Institute for Innovation Research and Tyndall Centre Manchester, Pariser Building, University of Manchester, M60 1QD (United Kingdom); Tomei, Julia, E-mail: j.tomei@ucl.ac.u [UCL Energy Institute, Central House, 14 Upper Woburn Place, London WC1H 0HY (United Kingdom); Dendler, Leonie, E-mail: Leonie.Dendler@postgrad.manchester.ac.u [Sustainable Consumption Institute (SCI), University of Manchester, 188 Waterloo Place, Oxford Road, Manchester M139PL (United Kingdom)

2011-05-15

Biofuel policy has become highly contentious in Europe. In this paper we discuss the governance and legitimacy aspects of the carbon and sustainability system of the UK Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), both before and after implementation of the Renewable Energy Directive. RTFO certification is of a meta-type, being built upon existing certification and labelling schemes, each of which are more or less contested by NGOs. Despite the RTFO being based on these non-state initiatives, so far the concerns of environment and development NGOs and others have not been given serious expression in regulatory terms. Indeed, biofuel policy development in the UK has arguably been unduly non-responsive to critical opinion, given the limited scientific base on biofuel impacts and the reliance of RTFO sustainability certification on non-state actors and schemes. Drawing on documentary evidence, interviews and three sets of literatures - co-production of regulation; post-normal science; and legitimacy of non-state certification and labelling processes - we suggest that until concerned voices are given a stronger expression in UK and EC biofuel policy development, the policy cannot yet be said to have achieved a wide social mandate. - Research highlights: {yields} Interviews with largely non-commercial actors show a high level of concern about EC/UK biofuel policy. {yields} The scientific uncertainties and complexity of biofuels justify inclusive policy development. {yields} Statutory UK and EC biofuel certification will rely heavily on non-state actors and processes.{yields} EC/UK biofuel certification can learn from legitimisation processes more usually relevant to non-state initiatives.

Reduction in tuberculosis incidence in the UK from 2011 to 2015: a population-based study.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, H Lucy; Harris, Ross J; Muzyamba, Morris C; Davidson, Jennifer A; Lalor, Maeve K; Campbell, Colin N J; Anderson, Sarah R; Zenner, Dominik

2018-04-19

Following nearly two decades of increasing tuberculosis in the UK, TB incidence decreased by 32% from 2011 to 2015. Explaining this reduction is crucial to informing ongoing TB control efforts. We stratified TB cases notified in the UK and TB cases averted in the UK through pre-entry screening (PES) between 2011 and 2015 by country of birth and time since arrival. We used population estimates and migration data to establish denominators, and calculated incidence rate ratios (IRRs) between 2011 and 2015. We calculated the contribution of changing migrant population sizes, PES and changes in TB rates to the reduction in TB notifications. TB IRRs fell in all non-EU migrant and UK-born populations between 2011 and 2015 (0.61; 95%  CI 0.59 to 0.64 and 0.78; 0.73 to 0.83 respectively), with the greatest decrease in recent non-EU migrants (0.54; 0.48 to 0.61). 61.9% of the reduction in TB notifications was attributable to decreases in TB rates, 33.4% to a fall in the number of recent/mid-term non-EU migrants and 11.4% to PES. A small increase in notifications in EU-born migrants offset the reduction by 6.6%. Large decreases in TB rates in almost all populations accounted for the majority of the reduction in TB notifications, providing evidence of the impact of recent interventions to improve UK TB control. The particularly large decrease in TB rates in recent non-EU migrants provides evidence of the effectiveness of screening interventions that target this population. These findings will inform ongoing improvements to TB control. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Report on primate supply for biomedical scientific work in the UK. EUPREN UK Working Party.

Science.gov (United States)

Owen, S; Thomas, C; West, P; Wolfensohn, S; Wood, M

1997-10-01

A Working Party of the UK group of European Primate Resources Network (EUPREN) considered primate supply for scientific work in the UK. Through a questionnaire, which achieved a very good response, it obtained details of primate use, sources and breeding in the UK and it put forward options to ensure that animal welfare is the best possible whilst ensuring continued supply. The questionnaire showed that contract research laboratories and pharmaceutical companies use about 80% of the 4233 primates used annually at the moment, with the rest accounted for by academic establishments and public sector laboratories. Fifty-four per cent are cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis), of which nearly 90% are captive-bred outside the European Union (EU), the remainder being bred in the UK. Nearly 90% of cynomolgus macaques are used by only five institutions. Thirty-seven per cent of primates used are marmosets (Callithrix jacchus jacchus), all of which are bred in the UK. Most of the rest are rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), about half of which are captive-bred outside the EU, the other half being bred in the UK. Overall primate use has increased from about 3000 per year in 1990 and users predict that requirements for all species except baboons (Papio sp.) will be maintained or increase. Marmoset breeding in the UK is already closely matched to use, and it could be increased reasonably easily if necessary. Some of the existing breeding centres of macaques in the UK would be prepared to consider expanding to supply others, although investment and imported breeding stock would be needed and it is likely that a large investment would be needed to breed a significant fraction of the macaque use in the UK. A further problem is that the users of only about 10% of the cynomolgus macaques said that they could replace this species by rhesus macaques, which are easier to breed in the UK. The questionnaire showed that much of the use of macaques would be transferred to other countries

The role of foundations: Rockefeller Foundation.

Science.gov (United States)

Rockefeller, David

The consequences of climate change and the impacts of human activity on the environment have made it clearer than ever before that we must evolve our current model of public health to better account for the inextricable link between human health and the natural systems on which it depends-creating a "public health 2.0" that builds on the innovations of the twentieth century to account for a world where humans have bypassed planetary boundaries to achieve well-being. First coined at the Rockefeller Foundation's Centennial gathering in Beijing in 2013, "Planetary Health" will factor in future health and environmental harms over present-day gains, particularly those that disproportionately affect the poor and those in developing nations. To build this new field, foundations must address the challenge of information, increasing support for research to bridge knowledge gaps on the links between economic development, natural systems, and human health.

Compressor Foundation Analysis Tool(COFANTO)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eijk, A.; Lentzen, S.S.K; Zuada Coelho, B.E.; Galanti, F.M.B.

2012-01-01

Reciprocating compressors are generally supported on a heavy concrete foundation. In spite of the large inertia and stiffness of the foundation, problems can occur due to interaction between the mechanical installation and the foundation. Two types of problems may occur. In the first type, the

Why is the center of evidence - based dermatology relevant to Indian dermatology ?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Williams Hywel

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Evidence-based dermatology is the application of high-quality evidence to the care of individual patients with skin diseases. The Centre of Evidence-Based Dermatology in the UK promotes activities in this field through its three interlinking cogs, composed of the international Cochrane Skin Group, the UK Dermatology Clinical Trials Network (UKDCTN, and the UK national electronic library for skin disorders. The Cochrane Skin Group summarises what is already known about health care interventions by supporting systematic reviews of relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs. The UKDCTN then addresses the key research gaps identified in systematic reviews by coordinating and carrying out well-designed RCTs. The Skin Disorders specialist library then plays a key role in disseminating new knowledge from systematic reviews and RCTs to a community of clinical users. The electronic resources at the Centre of Evidence-Based Dermatology are all freely available to Indian Dermatologists who can use the resources in a way that could benefit their patients. Such new knoweldge only has value if it is shared and used.

Vertical Dynamic Stiffness of Offshore Foundations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Latini, Chiara; Cisternino, Michele; Zania, Varvara

2016-01-01

Nowadays, pile and suction caisson foundations are widely used to support offshore structures which are subjected to vertical dynamic loads. The dynamic soil-structure interaction of floating foundations (foundations embedded in a soil layer whose height is greater than the foundation length) is ...

Changes needed to medicine in the UK before senior UK-trained doctors, working outside the UK, will return: questionnaire surveys undertaken between 2004 and 2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Lambert, Trevor W; Smith, Fay; Goldacre, Michael J

2017-12-01

To report the changes to UK medicine which doctors who have emigrated tell us would increase their likelihood of returning to a career in UK medicine. Questionnaire survey. UK-trained medical graduates. Questionnaires were sent 11 years after graduation to 7158 doctors who qualified in 1993 and 1996 in the UK: 4763 questionnaires were returned. Questionnaires were sent 17 and 19 years after graduation to the same cohorts: 4554 questionnaires were returned. Comments from doctors working abroad about changes needed to UK medicine before they would return. Eleven years after graduation, 290 (6%) of respondents were working in medicine abroad; 277 (6%) were doing so 17/19 years after graduation. Eleven years after graduation, 53% of doctors working abroad indicated that they did not intend to return, and 71% did so 17/19 years after graduation. These respondents reported a number of changes which would need to be made to UK medicine in order to increase the likelihood of them returning. The most frequently mentioned changes cited concerned 'politics/management/funding', 'pay/pension', 'posts/security/opportunities', 'working conditions/hours', and 'factors outside medicine'. Policy attention to factors including funding, pay, management and particularly the clinical-political interface, working hours, and work-life balance may pay dividends for all, both in terms of persuading some established doctors to return and, perhaps more importantly, encouraging other, younger doctors to believe that the UK and the National Health Service can offer them a satisfying and rewarding career.

Remaking the UK's energy technology innovation system: From the margins to the mainstream

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winskel, Mark; Radcliffe, Jonathan; Skea, Jim; Wang, Xinxin

2014-01-01

The UK energy technology innovation system (ETIS) has undergone wholesale remaking in recent years, in terms of its aims, funding and organisation. We analyse this process and distinguish between three phases since 2000: new beginnings, momentum building and urgency and review. Within an international trend to ETIS rebuilding, UK experience has been distinctive: from a low starting base in the early-2000s, to system remaking under a strong decarbonisation policy imperative in the late-2000s, to multiple and contested drivers in the early-2010s. Public funding levels have been erratic, with a rapid increase and a more recent decline. The private business sector has played a leading role in this remaking, and as this influence has grown, the role and style of energy innovation has shifted from long term niches to the shorter term mainstream. The UK ETIS suffers from persistent problems: fragmentation, low transparency and weak links to the research evidence base. - Highlights: • Analyses the dramatic recent remaking of the UK energy technology innovation system. • Identifies three distinct phases of innovation dynamics and governance since 2000. • The private sector has played a leading role in UKs innovation system rebuilding. • There has been a broad shift from niche to mainstream, continuity-based innovation. • The UK system suffers from unstable funding, fragmentation and low transparency

Emotional foundations of cognitive control

Science.gov (United States)

Inzlicht, Michael; Bartholow, Bruce D.; Hirsh, Jacob B.

2015-01-01

Often seen as the paragon of higher cognition, here we suggest that cognitive control is dependent on emotion. Rather than asking whether control is influenced by emotion, we ask whether control itself can be understood as an emotional process. Reviewing converging evidence from cybernetics, animal research, cognitive neuroscience, and social and personality psychology, we suggest that cognitive control is initiated when goal conflicts evoke phasic changes to emotional primitives that both focus attention on the presence of goal conflicts and energize conflict resolution to support goal-directed behavior. Critically, we propose that emotion is not an inert byproduct of conflict but is instrumental in recruiting control. Appreciating the emotional foundations of control leads to testable predictions that can spur future research. PMID:25659515

Hewitt launches Research Councils UK

CERN Multimedia

2002-01-01

"Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt today launched 'Research Councils UK' - a new strategic partnership that will champion research in science, engineering and technology across the UK" (1 page).

UK ignores treaty obligations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roche, P.

1995-01-01

A detailed critique is offered of United Kingdom (UK) political policy with respect to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, an interim agreement valid while nuclear disarmament was supposed to occur, by a representative of Greenpeace, the anti-nuclear campaigning group. The author argues that the civil and military nuclear programmes are still firmly linked, and emphasises his opinions by quoting examples of how UK politicians have broken treaty obligations in order to pursue their own political, and in some cases financial, goals. It is argued that the treaty has failed to force nuclear countries to disarm because of its promoted civil nuclear power programmes. (U.K.)

The logical foundations of mathematics

CERN Document Server

Hatcher, William S

1981-01-01

The Logical Foundations of Mathematics offers a study of the foundations of mathematics, stressing comparisons between and critical analyses of the major non-constructive foundational systems. The position of constructivism within the spectrum of foundational philosophies is discussed, along with the exact relationship between topos theory and set theory.Comprised of eight chapters, this book begins with an introduction to first-order logic. In particular, two complete systems of axioms and rules for the first-order predicate calculus are given, one for efficiency in proving metatheorems, and

UK 2009-2010 repeat station report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas J.G. Shanahan

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The British Geological Survey is responsible for conducting the UK geomagnetic repeat station programme. Measurements made at the UK repeat station sites are used in conjunction with the three UK magnetic observatories: Hartland, Eskdalemuir and Lerwick, to produce a regional model of the local field each year. The UK network of repeat stations comprises 41 stations which are occupied at approximately 3-4 year intervals. Practices for conducting repeat station measurements continue to evolve as advances are made in survey instrumentation and as the usage of the data continues to change. Here, a summary of the 2009 and 2010 UK repeat station surveys is presented, highlighting the measurement process and techniques, density of network, reduction process and recent results.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Science.gov (United States)

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Search How We Work Our Focus Areas About RWJF Search Menu How We Work Grants ... Learn more For Grantees and Grantseekers The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funds a wide array of programs ...

Dressing-related trauma: clinical sequelae and resource utilization in a UK setting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charlesworth B

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Bruce Charlesworth,1 Claire Pilling,1 Paul Chadwick,2 Martyn Butcher31Adelphi Values, Macclesfield, 2Salford Royal Foundation Trust, Salford, 3Northern Devon Healthcare Trust, Devon, UKBackground: Dressings are the mainstay of wound care management; however, adherence of the dressing to the wound or periwound skin is common and can lead to dressing-related pain and trauma. Dressing-related trauma is recognized as a clinical and economic burden to patients and health care providers. This study was conducted to garner expert opinion on clinical sequelae and resource use associated with dressing-related trauma in a UK setting.Methods: This was an exploratory study with two phases: qualitative pilot interviews with six wound care specialists to explore dressing-related trauma concepts, sequelae, and resource utilization; and online quantitative research with 30 wound care specialists to validate and quantify the concepts, sequelae, and resource utilization explored in the first phase of the study. Data were collected on mean health care professional time, material costs, pharmaceutical costs, and inpatient management per sequela occurrence until resolution. Data were analyzed to give total costs per sequela and concept occurrence.Results: The results demonstrate that dressing-related trauma is a clinically relevant concept. The main types of dressing-related trauma concepts included skin reactions, adherence to the wound, skin stripping, maceration, drying, and plugging of the wound. These were the foundation for a number of clinical sequelae, including wound enlargement, increased exudate, bleeding, infection, pain, itching/excoriation, edema, dermatitis, inflammation, and anxiety. Mean total costs range from £56 to £175 for the complete onward management of each occurrence of the six main concepts.Conclusion: These results provide insight into the hidden costs of dressing-related trauma in a UK setting. This research successfully conceptualized

Radioactive waste disposal at Sellafield, UK: site selection, geological and engineering problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haszeldine, R.S.; Smythe, D.K.

1996-01-01

UK Nirex is the company charged with finding a suitable site for the underground disposal of radioactive waste in the United Kingdom. Since 1991, Nirex has concentrated its investigation work at a site owned by British Nuclear Fuels Ltd near Sellafield. Planning permission was sought in 1994 for the development of an underground Rock Characterisation Facility at the site. A public Planning Inquiry began in September 1995. A wide range of scientific and technical objections were put by expert witnesses against the Nirex proposal. These witnesses were co-ordinated by three Objecting Organisations - Cumbria County Council, Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace. Their written evidence is presented in the 34 chapters of this book and separate abstracts have been written for each contribution. (UK)

Leading the asset : Resilience training efficacy in UK policing

OpenAIRE

Hesketh, Ian George; Cooper, Cary Lynn; Ivy, Jonathan Peter

2018-01-01

This paper examines and reports on the efficacy of work-based personal resilience training in a provincial police force in the north of UK. Taking a contextual view, data is modelled from an ASSET survey (n ¼ 350) that provides evidence of the manifestations and consequences of providing such input, in comparison with respondents who had no training and were in the same organisation. The findings support the use of such training programmes (Hesketh et al., 2015) for improving employee well-be...

Foundations of measurement

CERN Document Server

Suppes, Patrick

1989-01-01

Foundations of Measurement offers the most coherently organized treatment of the topics and issues central to measurement. Much of the research involved has been scattered over several decades and a multitude of journals--available in many instances only to specialties. With the publication of Volumes two and three of this important work, Foundations of Measurement is the most comprehensive presentation in the area of measurement.

The RCF and government policy. Supplementary proof of evidence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, P.; Western, R.

1996-01-01

Supplementary Proof of Evidence by an expert witness is presented in support of the case by Friends of the Earth (FOE) against the proposed construction by UK Nirex Ltd of an underground Rock Characterisation Facility (RCF) at a site in the Sellafield area. The RCF is part of an investigation by Nirex into a suitable site for an underground repository for the disposal of radioactive waste. The objections were raised at a Planning Inquiry in 1995. This evidence examined Nirex's proposal in the light of UK Government Policy on radioactive waste. FOE consider that their case against the proposed RCF stands unrebutted. It rests on the failure of Nirex to establish the baseline hydrogeological regime for the site, the lack of understanding of the mechanisms that would mobilise and transport radionuclides from the proposed repository, and the fact that the RCF has not been designed to be an integral feature of the proposed repository. (1 reference). (UK)

Risk Disclosure and Risk Appetite in the UK Retail Sector

OpenAIRE

Jacklis, Ola

2012-01-01

ABSTRACT In this phase of globalization, companies are constantly faced with the potential for risk which can compromise their current position. Being susceptible to risk can affect not only companies’ business operations but also the decision making process that evidently determines how they are managed. As a consequent, managing and reporting of risk have increasingly attracted interest from various participants throughout the business field. This research is centred on the UK retail ...

Earnings management, audit committee effectiveness and the role of blockholders ownership: Evidence from UK large firms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Murya Habbash

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The existing literature documents that the quality of financial reporting is higher when firms have effective audit committees. However, recent studies find that audit committees are not effective in family firms where agency conflicts arise between controlling and non-controlling shareholders. This study extends the previous findings by investigating the effectiveness of audit committees in firms with similar agency conflicts when one owner obtains effective control of the firm. Compared to firms with a low level of block ownership, high-blockholder firms face less agency problems due to the separation of ownership and management, but more severe agency problems between controlling (blockholders and non-controlling shareholders (minority shareholders. Using a unique hand-collected sample, this study tests the largest 350 UK firms for three years from 2005 to 2007, and shows that firms with effective audit committees have less earnings management. This study also documents that the monitoring effectiveness of audit committees is moderated in firms with high blockholder ownership. The results are not sensitive to the endogeneity test and hold for alternative specifications of both dependent and independent variables. Overall, these findings suggest that audit committees are ineffective in mitigating the majority-minority conflict compared to their effectiveness in reducing owners-managers conflicts. These conclusions, along with some recent similar evidence (e.g., Rose, 2009 and Guthrie and Sokolowsky, 2010, may raise doubts about the monitoring role of blockholders asserted by agency theorists and widely accepted in corporate governance literature.

Introductory guide to foundations

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Donaldson, GW

1973-01-01

Full Text Available . The secret of successful foundations is knowing just how much the subsoil can support. As one goes deeper, the ability of the ground to support a load becomes greater so that the foundation engineer can choose between deep foundations and the expense... beginstoinaease. When the house is ~ ~ p l e t e d it shelters the gmund f f ~ m sun and wind and the moisture content i- wen more rapidly- Leaking pipes and sewers increase the volume of water fed to the clay while ornamental trees planted around the house...

An exploratory study of information sources and key findings on UK cocaine-related deaths.

Science.gov (United States)

Corkery, John M; Claridge, Hugh; Goodair, Christine; Schifano, Fabrizio

2017-08-01

Cocaine-related deaths have increased since the early 1990s in Europe, including the UK. Being multi-factorial, they are difficult to define, detect and record. The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction commissioned research to: describe trends reported to Special Mortality Registries and General Mortality Registers; provide demographic and drug-use characteristic information of cases; and establish how deaths are identified and classified. A questionnaire was developed and piloted amongst all European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction Focal Point experts/Special Mortality Registries: 19 (63%) responded; nine countries provided aggregated data. UK General Mortality Registers use cause of death and toxicology to identify cocaine-related deaths. Categorisation is based on International Classification of Diseases codes. Special Mortality Registries use toxicology, autopsy, evidence and cause of death. The cocaine metabolites commonly screened for are: benzoylecgonine, ecgonine methyl ester, cocaethylene and ecgonine. The 2000s saw a generally accelerating upward trend in cases, followed by a decline in 2009. The UK recorded 2700-2900 deaths during 1998-2012. UK Special Mortality Registry data (2005-2009) indicate: 25-44 year-olds account for 74% of deaths; mean age=34 (range 15-81) years; 84% male. Cocaine overdoses account for two-thirds of cases; cocaine alone being mentioned/implicated in 23% in the UK. Opioids are involved in most (58%) cocaine overdose cases.

UK Royal Navy WWII Logbooks

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — In 2006, the UK and NOAA's Climate Database Modernization Program (CDMP) funded the imaging of approximately 8,000 Royal Navy logbooks in the UK National Archives...

Fundaciones para turbinas eólicas costa afuera Foundations for offshore wind turbines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Felipe Alberto Villalobos Jara

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Este artículo describe el comienzo y la evolución de la hoy en día creciente mundialmente industria de la energía eólica costa afuera. Como un caso particular, se describe la actual política de energías renovables en el Reino Unido. Se explican las características de las cargas ambientales existentes costa afuera, tipos de suelos del fondo marino y las fundaciones que se utilizan comúnmente. El tipo de estructura y régimen de carga establecen nuevas condiciones desde el punto de vista de la Ingeniería Civil. Se presentan las cámaras a succión como una fundación alternativa para turbinas de viento costa afuera. Las cámaras a succión son actualmente una alternativa aceptada en vez de usar pilotes en aplicaciones para la industria del petróleo y el gas. Sin embargo, este no es el caso todavía en aplicaciones para aerogeneradores costa afuera.This paper describes the beginning and evolution of the now worldwide growing offshore wind energy industry. In particular, the current renewable energy policy in the UK is described. The characteristics of the environmental loads offshore, type of seabed soils and foundations commonly adopted are explained. The type of structure and loading regime establish new conditions from a Civil Engineering point of view. Suction caissons are introduced as an alternative foundation for offshore wind turbines. Suction caissons are currently an accepted alternative to pile foundations in applications for the oil and gas industry. However, this is not yet the case in applications for offshore wind turbines.

Kellogg Foundation Initiative: Rewriting the Way Foundations Do Business in Indian Country.

Science.gov (United States)

Boyer, Paul

2000-01-01

Describes the multi-million dollar initiative announced by W. K. Kellogg Foundation in 1995 to support the Native American Higher Education Initiative, and how the Kellogg initiative deserves attention from the nation as a whole because it is attempting to fundamentally rewrite the way foundations do business with Indian communities. (VWC)

Investigating the cross-cultural validity of DSM-5 autism spectrum disorder: evidence from Finnish and UK samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Mandy, William; Charman, Tony; Puura, Kaija; Skuse, David

2014-01-01

The recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition (DSM-5) reformulation of autism spectrum disorder has received empirical support from North American and UK samples. Autism spectrum disorder is an increasingly global diagnosis, and research is needed to discover how well it generalises beyond North America and the United Kingdom. We tested the applicability of the DSM-5 model to a sample of Finnish young people with autism spectrum disorder (n = 130) or the broader autism phenotype (n = 110). Confirmatory factor analysis tested the DSM-5 model in Finland and compared the fit of this model between Finnish and UK participants (autism spectrum disorder, n = 488; broader autism phenotype, n = 220). In both countries, autistic symptoms were measured using the Developmental, Diagnostic and Dimensional Interview. Replicating findings from English-speaking samples, the DSM-5 model fitted well in Finnish autism spectrum disorder participants, outperforming a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) model. The DSM-5 model fitted equally well in Finnish and UK autism spectrum disorder samples. Among broader autism phenotype participants, this model fitted well in the United Kingdom but poorly in Finland, suggesting that cross-cultural variability may be greatest for milder autistic characteristics. We encourage researchers with data from other cultures to emulate our methodological approach, to map any cultural variability in the manifestation of autism spectrum disorder and the broader autism phenotype. This would be especially valuable given the ongoing revision of the International Classification of Diseases-11th Edition, the most global of the diagnostic manuals.

Pub Culture in the U.K.

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

孙鑫

2015-01-01

In the U.K., pubs can be seen everywhere. They play an important role in the British society. How pubs came into being in the U.K.? Why is pub culture formed and what makes it prosperous? What effects does pub culture make on British society both in the past and in the present? Does any British character be shown in pub culture in the U.K.? In this paper, I will give a brief in-troduction of pub culture's history and development in the U.K.. Besides, the above questions will be explored and analyzed one by one.

Swiss Foundation Code 2015 principles and recommendations for the establishment and management of grant-making foundations

CERN Document Server

Sprecher, Thomas; Schnurbein, Georg von

2015-01-01

The publication 'Swiss Foundation Code' contains practical governance guidelines on the topics of the establishment of foundations, their organisation, management and supervision, their charitable work and also on finance and investment policy for the contemporary and professional management of charitable foundations.

Modelling Foundations and Applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 8th European Conference on Modelling Foundations and Applications, held in Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark, in July 2012. The 20 revised full foundations track papers and 10 revised full applications track papers presented were carefully reviewed...

The Jan Korec Foundation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

In this video-film activities of the the Jan Korec Foundation are presented. The Jan Korec Foundation supports students of technical sciences, sport activities, science and support of book publishing, humanitarian supports, the environment protection as well as support of different social projects.

Preliminary evidence that yoga practice progressively improves mood and decreases stress in a sample of UK prisoners

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bilderbeck, A.C.; Brazil, I.A.; Farias, M.

2015-01-01

Objectives. In the first randomized controlled trial of yoga on UK prisoners, we previously showed that yoga practice was associated with improved mental wellbeing and cognition. Here, we aimed to assess how class attendance, self-practice, and demographic factors were related to outcome amongst

Emotional foundations of cognitive control.

Science.gov (United States)

Inzlicht, Michael; Bartholow, Bruce D; Hirsh, Jacob B

2015-03-01

Often seen as the paragon of higher cognition, here we suggest that cognitive control is dependent on emotion. Rather than asking whether control is influenced by emotion, we ask whether control itself can be understood as an emotional process. Reviewing converging evidence from cybernetics, animal research, cognitive neuroscience, and social and personality psychology, we suggest that cognitive control is initiated when goal conflicts evoke phasic changes to emotional primitives that both focus attention on the presence of goal conflicts and energize conflict resolution to support goal-directed behavior. Critically, we propose that emotion is not an inert byproduct of conflict but is instrumental in recruiting control. Appreciating the emotional foundations of control leads to testable predictions that can spur future research. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Swiss Foundation Code 2009 principles and recommendations for the establishment and management of grant-making foundations

CERN Document Server

Sprecher, Thomas; Janssen, Martin

2011-01-01

The «Swiss Foundation Code 2009» takes up and completes the first European Good Governance Code for grant-making foundations, published in 2005. It contains practical governance guidelines regarding the establishment, organization, management and monitoring of grant-making foundations as well as making due reference to support activities, financial and investment policies. The abridged English version of the „Swiss Foundation Code 2009“ contains 3 principles and 26 recommendations – but not the extensive commentary parts.

Bucket Foundation Response Under Various Displacement Rates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vaitkunaite, Evelina; Nielsen, Benjaminn Nordahl; Ibsen, Lars Bo

2016-01-01

in a multi-bucket foundation system. The foundation model is at a scale of approximately 1:20 prototype foundation size. The tests are performed in a pressure tank with the foundation model installed in dense sand. Based on the data, the conclusion is that the bucket foundation design in a storm case should......The present testing program aims at showing the pore pressure response around a bucket foundation skirt as well as the load and displacement change due to ten different displacement rates. Research findings are useful for a numerical model calibration focusing on the design of the upwind foundation...

"A sound track of your life": music in contemporary UK funerals.

Science.gov (United States)

Adamson, Sue; Holloway, Margaret

2012-01-01

This article considers the role that music plays in contemporary UK funerals and the meaning that the funeral music has for bereaved families. It is based on findings from a recently completed study of 46 funerals funded by the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council. Music contributes to the public ceremony and the personal existential quest of the bereaved. It is important to both the content and process of the contemporary funeral, an event of deep cultural significance in our response as individuals and communities to death and the loss of a significant relationship. There is evidence that for many people, the music chosen and used also evokes and conveys their spirituality. Spirituality may not be intrinsic to the music but spiritual experience may result from the meaning that the music has for that particular person.

Foundations for Critical Thinking

Science.gov (United States)

Bers, Trudy; Chun, Marc; Daly, William T.; Harrington, Christine; Tobolowsky, Barbara F.

2015-01-01

"Foundations for Critical Thinking" explores the landscape of critical-thinking skill development and pedagogy through foundational chapters and institutional case studies involving a range of students in diverse settings. By establishing a link between active learning and improved critical thinking, this resource encourages all higher…

The Monopod Bucket Foundation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bakmar, Christian LeBlanc; Ahle, Kim; Nielsen, Søren A.

2009-01-01

Following the successful installation of a prototype of a monopod bucket foundation, also called a “monopod suction caisson”, at Horns Rev 2 Offshore Wind Farm, Denmark, in 2009, DONG Energy is currently developing a commercialization strategy. The monopod bucket foundation is a promising...

UK health performance: findings of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, Christopher J L; Richards, Michael A; Newton, John N; Fenton, Kevin A; Anderson, H Ross; Atkinson, Charles; Bennett, Derrick; Bernabé, Eduardo; Blencowe, Hannah; Bourne, Rupert; Braithwaite, Tasanee; Brayne, Carol; Bruce, Nigel G; Brugha, Traolach S; Burney, Peter; Dherani, Mukesh; Dolk, Helen; Edmond, Karen; Ezzati, Majid; Flaxman, Abraham D; Fleming, Tom D; Freedman, Greg; Gunnell, David; Hay, Roderick J; Hutchings, Sally J; Ohno, Summer Lockett; Lozano, Rafael; Lyons, Ronan A; Marcenes, Wagner; Naghavi, Mohsen; Newton, Charles R; Pearce, Neil; Pope, Dan; Rushton, Lesley; Salomon, Joshua A; Shibuya, Kenji; Vos, Theo; Wang, Haidong; Williams, Hywel C; Woolf, Anthony D; Lopez, Alan D; Davis, Adrian

2013-03-23

mortality, worsening ranks are most notable for men and women aged 20-54 years. For all age groups, the contributions of Alzheimer's disease (increase of 137%, 16-277), cirrhosis (65%, ?15 to 107), and drug use disorders (577%, 71-942) to premature mortality rose from 1990 to 2010. In 2010, compared with EU15+, the UK had significantly lower rates of age-standardised YLLs for road injury, diabetes, liver cancer, and chronic kidney disease, but significantly greater rates for ischaemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lower respiratory infections, breast cancer, other cardiovascular and circulatory disorders, oesophageal cancer, preterm birth complications, congenital anomalies, and aortic aneurysm. Because YLDs per person by age and sex have not changed substantially from 1990 to 2010 but age-specific mortality has been falling, the importance of chronic disability is rising. The major causes of YLDs in 2010 were mental and behavioural disorders (including substance abuse; 21·5% [95 UI 17·2-26·3] of YLDs), and musculoskeletal disorders (30·5% [25·5-35·7]). The leading risk factor in the UK was tobacco (11·8% [10·5-13·3] of DALYs), followed by increased blood pressure (9·0 % [7·5-10·5]), and high body-mass index (8·6% [7·4-9·8]). Diet and physical inactivity accounted for 14·3% (95% UI 12·8-15·9) of UK DALYs in 2010. The performance of the UK in terms of premature mortality is persistently and significantly below the mean of EU15+ and requires additional concerted action. Further progress in premature mortality from several major causes, such as cardiovascular diseases and cancers, will probably require improved public health, prevention, early intervention, and treatment activities. The growing burden of disability, particularly from mental disorders, substance use, musculoskeletal disorders, and falls deserves an integrated and strategic response. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Is Investment-Cash Flow Sensitivity Caused by the Agency Costs or Asymmetric Information? Evidence from the UK

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pawlina, G.; Renneboog, L.D.R.

2005-01-01

We investigate the investment-cash flow sensitivity of a large sample of the UK listed firms and confirm that investment is strongly cash flow-sensitive.Is this suboptimal investment policy the result of agency problems when managers with high discretion overinvest, or of asymmetric information when

Investigating the Cross-Cultural Validity of "DSM-5" Autism Spectrum Disorder: Evidence from Finnish and UK Samples

Science.gov (United States)

Mandy, William; Charman, Tony; Puura, Kaija; Skuse, David

2014-01-01

The recent "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition" ("DSM-5") reformulation of autism spectrum disorder has received empirical support from North American and UK samples. Autism spectrum disorder is an increasingly global diagnosis, and research is needed to discover how well it generalises beyond…

Long-Term Ownership by Industrial Foundations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Børsting, Christa Winther; Kuhn, Johan Moritz; Poulsen, Thomas

2016-01-01

in Denmark. Industrial foundations are independent legal entities without owners or members typically with the dual objective of preserving the company and using excess profits for charity. We use a unique Danish data set to examine the governance of foundation-owned companies. We show that they are long......-term in several respects. Foundations hold on to their shares for longer. Foundation-owned companies replace managers less frequently. They have more conservative capital structures with less leverage. Their companies survive longer. Their business decisions appear to be more long term. This paper supports...... the hypothesis that time horizons are influenced by ownership structures and particularly that industrial foundations promote longtermism. Policymakers which are interested in promoting longtermism should allow and perhaps even encourage the creation of industrial foundations. More generally they should consider...

Food and beverage cues in UK and Irish children-television programming.

Science.gov (United States)

Scully, Paul; Reid, Orlaith; Macken, Alan; Healy, Mark; Saunders, Jean; Leddin, Des; Cullen, Walter; Dunne, Colum; O'Gorman, Clodagh S

2014-11-01

Increased time in which children spend watching television is a well-described contributor to paediatric obesity. This study investigated the frequency and type of food and beverage placement in children-specific television broadcasts and compared data from UK (UK) and Irish television stations. Content analysis, totalling 82.5 h, reflecting 5 weekdays of children-specific television broadcasting on UK and Irish television channels was performed. To allow comparison between UK and Irish food and beverage cues, only broadcasts between 06.00 and 11.30 were analysed. Data were coded separately by two analysts and transferred to SPSS for analyses. Food and beverage cues were coded based on type of product, product placement, product use, motivation, outcome and characters involved. A total of 1155 food and beverage cues were recorded. Sweet snacks were the most frequent food cue (13.3%), followed by sweets/candy (11.4%). Tea/coffee was the most frequent beverage cue (13.5%), followed by sugar-sweetened beverages (13.0%). The outcome of the cue was positive in 32.6%, negative in 19.8%, and neutral in 47.5% of cases. The most common motivating factor associated with each cue was celebratory/social (25.2%), followed by hunger/thirst (25.0%). Comparison of UK and Irish placements showed both to portray high levels of unhealthy food cues. However, placements for sugar-sweetened beverages were relatively low on both channels. This study provides further evidence of the prominence of unhealthy foods in children's programming. These data may provide guidance for healthcare professionals, regulators and programme makers in planning for a healthier portrayal of food and beverage in children's television. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Introduction-Epilepsy Research UK expert workshop 2014: SUDEP: Time for prevention-evidence and clinical translation Proceedings from the Epilepsy Research UK 2014 Expert Workshop.

Science.gov (United States)

Nashef, Lina; Richardson, Mark P

2016-01-01

We offer Epilepsia readers this supplement based on the proceedings of an international workshop on sudden death in epilepsy (SUDEP) held in 2014 at St Anne's College at Oxford and hosted by Epilepsy Research UK (ERUK). This is the second Epilepsia supplement dedicated to SUDEP and its focus is on prevention. As workshop co-chairs, in this introduction we outline why we believe we are on the threshold of a new era of prevention in SUDEP. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 International League Against Epilepsy.

Ethnicity and Occupational Pension Membership in the UK

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

Abstract Reflecting a relatively low‐value Basic State Pension, occupational pensions have historically been a key aspect of pension protection within Britain. Existing research shows that minority ethnic groups are less likely to benefit from such pensions and are more likely to face poverty in later life, as a result of the interaction of their labour market participation and pension membership patterns. However, the lack of adequate data on ethnic minorities has so far prevented the direct comparison of different ethnic groups, as well as their comparison to the White British group. Using data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study, this article explores patterns of employment and the odds ratios of membership in an employer's pension scheme among working‐age individuals from minority ethnic groups and the White British population, taking into account factors not used by previous research, such as one's migration history and sector of employment (public/private). The analysis provides new empirical evidence confirming that ethnicity remains a strong determinant of one's pension protection prospects through being in paid work, being an employee and working for an employer who offers a pension scheme. However, once an individual is working for an employer offering a pension scheme, the effect of ethnicity on that person's odds of being a member of that scheme reduces, except among Pakistani and Bangladeshi individuals for whom the differentials remain. The article also provides evidence on the pension protection of Polish individuals, a relatively ‘new’ minority group in the UK. PMID:27563161

Evidence Valued and Used by Health Promotion Practitioners

Science.gov (United States)

Li, V.; Carter, S. M.; Rychetnik, L.

2015-01-01

The use of evidence has become a foundational part of health promotion practice. Although there is a general consensus that adopting an evidence-based approach is necessary for practice, disagreement remains about what types of evidence practitioners should use to guide their work. An empirical understanding of how practitioners conceptualize and…

NUMERICAL MODELLING OF CHICKEN-FOOT FOUNDATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vipman Tandjiria

1999-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an analysis of the chicken-foot foundation using the finite element method. The foundation is considered as a reinforced concrete slab resting on a number of reinforced concrete pipes filled with and surrounded by in-situ soil. The soil and the pipes were modelled by isoparametric solid elements while the slab was modelled by isoparametric thick-plate elements. The study was intended to illustrate the basic mechanism of the chicken-foot foundation. Three cases have been considered for the parametric studies. The parameters investigated are thickness of slab, length of pipes and spacing between pipes. It is shown that such a foundation improves the behaviour of the raft foundation. It is also found that all the parameters used in the parametric studies influence the behaviour of the chicken-foot foundation.

Distributional implications of higher energy prices in the UK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Common, M

1985-06-01

Results presented are consistent with the claim that higher energy prices are regressive in impact in the UK. However, the size of the impact on the worst affected is not found to be as great as might be expected. It is not at all obvious that the size of impact established is such as to justify the use of terms such as fuel poverty or arguments for the subsidization of fuels purchased by those on low incomes. This is not to say that low income households in the UK have not in the last decade had serious problems with fuel bills. The evidence of, for example, the Supplementary Benefits Commission (1979) makes it obvious that large numbers of households have experienced real problems. However, from the evidence considered here, it is reasonable to suggest that the origin of such problems lies more with the technical characteristics of the consumption act, and with institutional arrangements for payment, in respect of heating and lighting, than with impact of higher fuel prices as such. Gas and electricity consumption is not readily monitored as use occurs, and payment is often by billing well after consumption. Casual observation suggests that the difficulties with fuel bills as reported to welfare agencies are predominantly difficulties with gas and electricity bills. The results also show that of the total impact of higher energy prices on cost of living indices, only 50% arises via the consumption of fuels in the home.

Introducing wood pellet fuel to the UK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cotton, R A; Giffard, A

2001-07-01

Technical and non-technical issues affecting the introduction of wood pellet-fired heating to the UK were investigated with the aim of helping to establish a wood pellet industry in the UK. The project examined the growth and status of the industry in continental Europe and North America, reviewed relevant UK standards and legislation, identified markets for pellet heating in the UK, organised workshops and seminars to demonstrate pellet burning appliances, carried out a trial pelletisation of a range of biomass fuels, helped to set up demonstration installations of pellet-fired appliances, undertook a promotional campaign for wood pellet fuel and compiled resource directories for pellet fuel and pellet burning appliances in the UK. The work was completed in three phases - review, identification and commercialisation. Project outputs include UK voluntary standards for wood pellet fuel and combustion appliances, and a database of individuals with an interest in wood pellet fuel.

International students of speech and language therapy in the UK: do we meet their needs?

Science.gov (United States)

Marshall, Julie; Goldbart, Juliet; Evans, Ruth

2004-01-01

Informal evidence suggests that many Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) students from outside of the UK and/or Republic of Ireland who come to the UK either do not return to their home country on qualification or do not practise as SLTs in the public sector. Many factors may contribute to this situation. Concern that it may result in part from a poor match between UK SLT education and the demands of the role in other countries led the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) to fund a study of international SLT students' experiences of UK qualifying courses. To discover and describe the experiences, views and expectations of current and past international students studying SLT in the UK and past international students' experiences, views and expectations of practising as SLTS, both inside and outside the UK. To consider the implications of the findings for (1) international students planning to work as SLTs; (2) UK SLT students planning to practise outside the UK; and (3) all those involved in SLT education: educational institutions; supervising SLTs; RCSLT. The study involved distributing 166 postal questionnaires (some directly to (ex)students and some to their Higher Education Institutes, or HEIs) and carrying out 23 interviews, with both current students and those qualifying since May 1994. Quantitative analysis was carried out using SPSS using descriptive statistics. Qualitative analysis used content and thematic analyses. Seventy-one questionnaires were received from current and past students, representing a minimum response rate of 43%. (It was not possible to verify exactly how many questionnaires were distributed by HEIs.) The results describe the diverse range of respondents' experiences of studying and working in the UK, their views of working in their home countries and the UK, and their suggestions about strategies that might be adopted to support them further. The results revealed that students come from a wide diversity of countries

Boosting Belligerence: How the July 7, 2005, London Bombings Affected Liberals' Moral Foundations and Prejudice.

Science.gov (United States)

Van de Vyver, Julie; Houston, Diane M; Abrams, Dominic; Vasiljevic, Milica

2016-02-01

Major terrorist events, such as the recent attacks in Ankara, Sinai, and Paris, can have profound effects on a nation's values, attitudes, and prejudices. Yet psychological evidence testing the impact of such events via data collected immediately before and after an attack is understandably rare. In the present research, we tested the independent and joint effects of threat (the July 7, 2005, London bombings) and political ideology on endorsement of moral foundations and prejudices among two nationally representative samples (combined N = 2,031) about 6 weeks before and 1 month after the London bombings. After the bombings, there was greater endorsement of the in-group foundation, lower endorsement of the fairness-reciprocity foundation, and stronger prejudices toward Muslims and immigrants. The differences in both the endorsement of the foundations and the prejudices were larger among people with a liberal orientation than among those with a conservative orientation. Furthermore, the changes in endorsement of moral foundations among liberals explained their increases in prejudice. The results highlight the value of psychological theory and research for understanding societal changes in attitudes and prejudices after major terrorist events. © The Author(s) 2015.

UK experience of planning the nuclear contribution to the UK power programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Catchpole, S.; Jenkin, F.P.

1977-01-01

The paper outlines U.K. experience in planning nuclear programmes. It examines the factors which have determined the size of such programmes together with those factors which have influenced their implementation. The paper also discusses the role which the utility has played in the deployment of nuclear power in the U.K. At present, nuclear energy can only be utilised on a large scale via the electricity route and the forecasting of electricity demand is therefore a key element in determining the size of the nuclear programme. Other important issues which affect the nuclear contribution are: national fuel policies, discontinuities in price and availability of imported fossil fuels, plant capital costs, fuel price relativities, plant siting, rate of introduction of new nuclear systems, manufacturer's capability, public attitudes towards nuclear power and financing. These issues are dealt with in some detail including their relative importance in the U.K. The paper also discusses the contribution of the various nuclear bodies in the U.K. in securing the implementation of the nuclear programmes. From the inception of nuclear power in the U.K., it has been recognised that a major utility has a central role to play not only in commercial operation but also in the procurement of plant and materials. As explained in the paper this ''informed buyer'' approach, which is being increasingly adopted by other major utilities, calls for an organisation and technical infrastructure far more complex than is the case for fossil plants. The requirements of safety, which is unambiguously the responsibility of the utility, and of high availability of plant operation demand a rigorous approach to design, quality assurance, project management, construction and operation. To this must be added sound research and development and staff training facilities. The paper explains how experience in these vital areas has been built up

IEA PVPS Task 1 - UK Expert. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gunning, R.

2003-07-01

The paper relates to work carried out under contract to the UK Renewable Energy Programme, and describes the terms of reference of the UK representation in the IEA PVPS Task 1 which provides a forum for exchange of information on photovoltaic (PV) technology between 21 participating countries. The main benefit derived by the UK is access to international expertise in PV technology. Using information obtained from participation in Task 1, the UK produces a National Survey Report which reports on developments in PV technology in the UK over the previous 12 months. The report covers installed capacity, prices, budgets and costs: it is freely available on the UK PVPS website. The newsletter PV Power, is prepared and distributed biannually - 18 issues have been published by mid-2003. IT Power is currently the UK representative on the IEA PVPS Task 1.

Establishing a University Foundation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lemish, Donald L.

A handbook on how to establish a university foundation is presented. It presupposes that a foundation will be used as the umbrella organization for receiving all private gifts, restricted and unrestricted, for the benefit of a public college or university; and hence it chiefly addresses readers from public colleges and universities. Information is…

Factors influencing the contamination of UK banknotes with drugs of abuse.

Science.gov (United States)

Ebejer, Karl A; Lloyd, Gavin R; Brereton, Richard G; Carter, James F; Sleeman, Richard

2007-09-13

Bank of England banknotes sampled from different locations in the UK have been analysed for the presence of cocaine, diamorphine (DAM), Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). A database of the contamination detected is routinely used as a benchmark against which the contamination detected on seized banknotes can be compared. Evidence presented at court details how banknotes seized from a suspect may differ from banknotes in general circulation in terms of their contamination with controlled drugs. A question arising from such evidence is whether seized banknotes could have become contaminated through being in circulation in drug "hot spots". In order to address this issue, a Plackett-Burman experimental design was used to investigate the influence of source location and other factors on banknote contamination with drugs of abuse. Banknotes were drawn from banks in eight regions throughout the UK. Each location could be described by a unique combination of the factors under investigation, namely whether the location was rural or urban, in the North or South of the UK, and whether it was a port of entry. The socio-economic class and the proportion of drug offenders in the area and the denomination of the banknotes were also considered as potentially influential factors. Indices were calculated to describe the degree to which samples were contaminated with different drugs, and normal probability plots were used to identify the factors that could account for the contamination observed. Whilst some factors were more influential than others, it was shown that, at the 95% confidence level, none of the proposed factors were significant influences on the contamination. Cocaine contamination on banknotes has been shown to follow a log-normal distribution. It was, therefore, possible to calculate F- and t-statistics to compare the cocaine contamination on the entire sample set with that detected on a second sample set consisting of

Use of reinforced soil foundation (RSF) to support shallow foundation : summary report, November 2008.

Science.gov (United States)

2008-05-01

This research study investigates the potential benefits of using reinforced soil foundations to improve the bearing : capacity and reduce the settlement of shallow foundations on soils. To implement this objective, a total of 117 : tests, including 3...

Vested Interests in Addiction Research and Policy The challenge corporate lobbying poses to reducing society’s alcohol problems: insights from UK evidence on minimum unit pricing

Science.gov (United States)

McCambridge, Jim; Hawkins, Benjamin; Holden, Chris

2014-01-01

Background There has been insufficient research attention to alcohol industry methods of influencing public policies. With the exception of the tobacco industry, there have been few studies of the impact of corporate lobbying on public health policymaking more broadly. Methods We summarize here findings from documentary analyses and interview studies in an integrative review of corporate efforts to influence UK policy on minimum unit pricing (MUP) of alcohol 2007–10. Results Alcohol producers and retailers adopted a long-term, relationship-building approach to policy influence, in which personal contacts with key policymakers were established and nurtured, including when they were not in government. The alcohol industry was successful in achieving access to UK policymakers at the highest levels of government and at all stages of the policy process. Within the United Kingdom, political devolution and the formation for the first time of a Scottish National Party (SNP) government disrupted the existing long-term strategy of alcohol industry actors and created the conditions for evidence-based policy innovations such as MUP. Conclusions Comparisons between policy communities within the United Kingdom and elsewhere are useful to the understanding of how different policy environments are amenable to influence through lobbying. Greater transparency in how policy is made is likely to lead to more effective alcohol and other public policies globally by constraining the influence of vested interests. PMID:24261642

Foundations of mechanics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zorski, Henryk; Bazanski, Stanislaw; Gutowski, Roman; Slawianowski, Jan; Wilmanski, Krysztof; Wozniak, Czeslaw

1992-01-01

In the last 3 decades the field of mechanics has seen spectacular progress due to the demand for applications in problems of cosmology, thermonuclear fusion, metallurgy, etc. This book provides a broad and thorough overview on the foundations of mechanics. It discusses theoretical mechanics and continuum mechanics, as well as phenomenological thermodynamics, quantum mechanics and relativistic mechanics. Each chapter presents the basic physical facts of interest without going into details and derivations and without using advanced mathematical formalism. The first part constitutes a classical exposition of Lagrange's and Hamiltonian's analytical mechanics on which most of the continuum theory is based. The section on continuum mechanics focuses mainly on the axiomatic foundations, with many pointers for further research in this area. Special attention is given to modern continuum thermodynamics, both for the foundations and applications. A section on quantum mechanics is also included, since the phenomenological description of various quantum phenomena is becoming of increasing importance. refs.; figs.; tabs

Use of reinforced soil foundation (RSF) to support shallow foundation : final report, November 2008.

Science.gov (United States)

2008-11-01

This research study aims at investigating the potential benefits of using reinforced soil foundations to improve the bearing capacity and reduce the settlement of shallow foundations on soils. To implement this objective, a total of 117 tests, includ...

Studies on urokinase (UK) therapy of thromboembolic diseases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wakayama, Ryuji; Satake, Kisaburo; Hisamatsu, Tokugoro; Fukase, Masaichi

1974-01-01

In order to determine the urokinase (UK) concentration in blood, a radioimmunoassay method was developed, in which a radioactive material labeled with 125 I-Na was used. In this method, the movement of UK in blood and the relationship between the UK concentration and fibrinolytic activity were studied with the following results: 1) The concentration of UK in normal human blood was found to be 6.84 +- 2.53 PKU early in the morning with an apparent daily rythmic fluctuation in concentration. 2) With an intravenous drip of 20,000 to 30,000 PKU, the UK concentration increased 6 to 8 PKU/ml above the early morning value, then in one to two hours it returned to the previous value once again. In some of the cases, a slight, transient decrease occurred. 3) Following the UK drip, UK concentration in the blood and fibrinolytic activity varied in a parallel fashion. Plasminogen and antiplasmin levels were not altered by administration of only 20,000 to 30,000 PKU of UK. Fibrinogen was lowered, but the fluctuation was within the physiological range. (S. Oyama)

CARES Foundation

Science.gov (United States)

... Foundation Video Get Involved EMS and Newborn Screening campaigns Clincal trials Fundraisers Support groups Connect and promote with Social Media: Facebook , Twitter , Instagram and LinkedIn News & Notes from ...

Organisational perspectives on addressing differential attainment in postgraduate medical education: a qualitative study in the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Woolf, Katherine; Viney, Rowena; Rich, Antonia; Jayaweera, Hirosha; Griffin, Ann

2018-03-09

To explore how representatives from organisations with responsibility for doctors in training perceive risks to the educational progression of UK medical graduates from black and minority ethnic groups (BME UKGs), and graduates of non-UK medical schools (international medical graduates (IMGs)). To identify the barriers to and facilitators of change. Qualitative semistructured individual and group interview study. Postgraduate medical education in the UK. Individuals with roles in examinations and/or curriculum design from UK medical Royal Colleges. Employees of NHS Employers. Representatives from 11 medical Royal Colleges (n=29) and NHS Employers (n=2) took part (55% medically qualified, 61% male, 71% white British/Irish, 23% Asian/Asian British, 6% missing ethnicity). Risks were perceived as significant, although more so for IMGs than for BME UKGs. Participants based significance ratings on evidence obtained largely through personal experience. A lack of evidence led to downgrading of significance. Participants were pessimistic about effecting change, two main barriers being sensitivities around race and the isolation of interventions. Participants felt that organisations should acknowledge problems, but felt concerned about being transparent without a solution; and talking about race with trainees was felt to be difficult. Participants mentioned 63 schemes aiming to address differential attainment, but these were typically local or specialty-specific, were not aimed at BME UKGs and were largely unevaluated. Participants felt that national change was needed, but only felt empowered to effect change locally or within their specialty. Representatives from organisations responsible for training doctors perceived the risks faced by BME UKGs and IMGs as significant but difficult to change. Strategies to help organisations address these risks include: increased openness to discussing race (including ethnic differences in attainment among UKGs); better sharing of

A thousand flowers blooming? An examination of community energy in the UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seyfang, Gill; Park, Jung Jin; Smith, Adrian

2013-01-01

Community energy has been proposed as a new policy tool to help achieve the transition to a low-carbon energy system, but the evidence base for this strategy is partial and fragmented. We therefore present new empirical evidence from the first independent UK-wide survey of community energy projects. Our survey investigates the objectives, origins and development of these groups across the UK, their activities and their networking activities as a sector. We also examine the strengths and weaknesses of these groups, along with the opportunities and threats presented by wider socioeconomic and political contexts, in order to improve understanding of the sector's potential and the challenges it faces. We highlight several key issues concerning the further development of the sector. First, this highly diverse sector is not reducible to a single entity; its multiple objectives need joined-up thinking among government departments. Second, its civil society basis is fundamental to its success at engaging local communities, and makes the sector quite distinct from the large energy companies these community groups are aiming to work alongside. There are inherent tensions and vulnerabilities in such a model, and limits to how much these groups can achieve on their own: consistent policy support is essential. - Highlights: • The community-led sustainable energy sector is diverse, and growing in the UK. • Sometimes it is more about the community than the energy. • Joined-up policy thinking is needed to properly measure performance and impact. • There are limits to how much civil society-led groups can achieve on their own. • Consistent policy support is essential to the sector's development

The Electronic Evidence in Trial Proceedings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Monica Pocora

2015-05-01

Full Text Available This paper will consider theoretical and practical issues which arise in trial proceedings, throughout the virtual presence of persons involved. The EU Convention of 2000 provide the legal base for the use of video conference. In most jurisdictions, all forms of evidence is admissible, subject to rules relating to the exclusion of evidence because of improper actions or because the inclusion of the evidence would be unfair to the defendant. There is a difference between the admissibility of the evidence and laying the correct foundations before the evidence can be admitted.

Vested interests in addiction research and policy. The challenge corporate lobbying poses to reducing society's alcohol problems: insights from UK evidence on minimum unit pricing.

Science.gov (United States)

McCambridge, Jim; Hawkins, Benjamin; Holden, Chris

2014-02-01

There has been insufficient research attention to alcohol industry methods of influencing public policies. With the exception of the tobacco industry, there have been few studies of the impact of corporate lobbying on public health policymaking more broadly. We summarize here findings from documentary analyses and interview studies in an integrative review of corporate efforts to influence UK policy on minimum unit pricing (MUP) of alcohol 2007-10. Alcohol producers and retailers adopted a long-term, relationship-building approach to policy influence, in which personal contacts with key policymakers were established and nurtured, including when they were not in government. The alcohol industry was successful in achieving access to UK policymakers at the highest levels of government and at all stages of the policy process. Within the United Kingdom, political devolution and the formation for the first time of a Scottish National Party (SNP) government disrupted the existing long-term strategy of alcohol industry actors and created the conditions for evidence-based policy innovations such as MUP. Comparisons between policy communities within the United Kingdom and elsewhere are useful to the understanding of how different policy environments are amenable to influence through lobbying. Greater transparency in how policy is made is likely to lead to more effective alcohol and other public policies globally by constraining the influence of vested interests. ©2013 The Authors. Addiction published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Society for the Study of Addiction.

Fracture flow modelling. Proof of evidence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hencher, S.R.

1996-01-01

Proof of Evidence by an expert witness is presented in support of the case by Friends of the Earth (FOE) against the proposed construction by UK Nirex Ltd of an underground Rock Characterisation Facility (RCF) at a site in the Sellafield area. The RCF is part of an investigation by Nirex into a suitable site for an underground repository for the disposal of radioactive waste. The objections were raised at a Planning Inquiry in 1995. The evidence points out that current understanding of the factors which control flow through a network of interconnecting fractures, such as that at the Sellafield site, is at a very early stage of development. Neither are the methods of investigation and analysis required for a post-closure performance assessment (PCPA) for a repository well developed. These issues are being investigated in international underground research laboratories but the proposed RCF is intended to be confirmatory rather than experimental. (23 references). (UK)

Evaluating the outcomes of the STEPPS programme in a UK community-based population; implications for the multidisciplinary treatment of borderline personality disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, N; Geoghegan, M; Shawe-Taylor, M

2016-08-01

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Individuals with a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) now constitute a substantial portion of the caseload for community teams. Specialized treatments for BPD often consume a large portion of available psychology resources and also involve lengthy waiting lists. The STEPPS programme is a treatment approach which is growing in evidence, particularly in the US. However, further evidence for the effectiveness of this programme within the UK healthcare system is needed. The results of this study support the preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of STEPPS in a UK community-based population. A reduction in symptom severity was in evidence. Novel measures were used to build on previous evaluations of the STEPPS programme. These measures show a significant reduction in patients' affinity for unhelpful schemas, as well as an increase in patients' self-reported quality of life; an important perspective for a recovery focused approach to treatment. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: The STEPPS programme has shown its merit as an effective and more accessible treatment option for the community-based treatment of BPD, though some methodological limitations are noted. Furthermore, the results of this study demonstrate that STEPPS can be delivered effectively by teams of facilitators from different professional backgrounds who do not necessarily have extensive training in psychotherapeutic interventions. The result is a well-rounded and diverse skill set possessed by the team of facilitators, adding to the richness of the patient's recovery journey and leading to a more favourable spread of teams' resources. Aims & Background Systems Training for Emotional Predictability and Problem Solving (STEPPS) is a group treatment for individuals with a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) which has a growing evidence base, particularly in the US. Evidence is sparse for its use with UK populations, and this study seeks

Obtaining corporate information from NHS foundation trusts.

Science.gov (United States)

Woodward, Valerie; Endacott, Ruth; Sheaff, Rod; Jones, Ray

Foundation trusts have boards of directors that are responsible for the day-to-day running of the organisation, planning services and developing strategy. Unlike non-foundation trusts and primary care trusts (PCTs), foundation trusts are not obliged to hold directors' board meetings in public. This article describes the online availability and accessibility of the minutes of such meetings in a number of foundation trusts, non-foundation trusts and PCTs. The implications for transparency in the NHS are also discussed.

Spring viraemia of carp (SVC) in the UK: the road to freedom.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, N G H; Peeler, E J; Denham, K L; Crane, C N; Thrush, M A; Dixon, P F; Stone, D M; Way, K; Oidtmann, B C

2013-08-01

Spring viraemia of carp (SVC) is a disease of international importance that predominantly affects cyprinid fish and can cause significant mortality. In the United Kingdom (UK), SVC was first detected in 1977 with further cases occurring in fisheries, farms, wholesale and retail establishments throughout England and Wales (but not Scotland, where few cyprinid populations exist, nor Northern Ireland where SVC has never been detected) over the subsequent 30 years. Following a control and eradication programme for the disease initiated in 2005, the UK was recognised free of the disease in 2010. This study compiles historic records of SVC cases in England and Wales with a view to understanding its routes of introduction and spread, and assessing the effectiveness of the control and eradication programme in order to improve contingency plans to prevent and control future disease incursions in the cyprinid fish sectors. Between 1977 and 2010 the presence of SVC was confirmed on 108 occasions, with 65 of the cases occurring in sport fisheries and the majority of the remainder occurring in the ornamental fish sector. The study found that throughout the history of SVC in the UK, though cases were widely distributed, their occurrence was sporadic and the virus did not become endemic. All evidence indicates that SVC was not able to persist under UK environmental conditions, suggesting that the majority of cases were a result of new introductions to the UK as opposed to within-country spread. The control and eradication programme adopted in 2005 was highly effective and two years after its implementation cases of SVC ceased. Given the non-persistent nature of the pathogen the most important aspect of the control programme focused on preventing re-introduction of the virus to the UK. Despite the effectiveness of these controls against SVC, this approach is likely to be less effective against more persistent pathogens such as koi herpesvirus, which are likely to require more

Bucket foundations under lateral cyclic loading

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Foglia, Aligi

failure envelopes. A jacked installation test is successfully compared with existing models. Tests of bucket foundations under lateral loading applied at different loading rates are analysed. As expected, the bearing capacity of bucket foundations under transient lateral loading increases dramatically...... documents on bearing capacity and installation of bucket foundations are reviewed and the results from the models found in literature are compared to the experimental results obtained in the current study. Monotonic tests of bucket foundations under lateral loading until failure are compared with existing...

Emergency management in health: key issues and challenges in the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Andrew C K; Phillips, Wendy; Challen, Kirsty; Goodacre, Steve

2012-10-19

Emergency planning in the UK has grown considerably in recent years, galvanised by the threat of terrorism. However, deficiencies in NHS emergency planning were identified and the evidence-base that underpins it is questionable. Inconsistencies in terminologies and concepts also exist. Different models of emergency management exist internationally but the optimal system is unknown. This study examines the evidence-base and evidence requirements for emergency planning in the UK health context. The study involved semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders and opinion leaders. Purposive sampling was used to obtain a breadth of views from various agencies involved in emergency planning and response. Interviews were then analysed using a grounded approach using standard framework analysis techniques. We conducted 17 key informant interviews. Interviewees identified greater gaps in operational than technical aspects of emergency planning. Social and behavioural knowledge gaps were highlighted with regards to how individuals and organisations deal with risk and behave in emergencies. Evidence-based approaches to public engagement and for developing community resilience to disasters are lacking. Other gaps included how knowledge was developed and used. Conflicting views with regards to the optimal configuration and operation of the emergency management system were voiced. Four thematic categories for future research emerged:(i) Knowledge-base for emergency management: Further exploration is needed of how knowledge is acquired, valued, disseminated, adopted and retained.(ii) Social and behavioural issues: Greater understanding of how individuals approach risk and behave in emergencies is required.(iii) Organisational issues in emergencies: Several conflicting organisational issues were identified; value of planning versus plans, flexible versus standardized procedures, top-down versus bottom-up engagement, generic versus specific planning, and reactive versus

REVISING THE INTOLERANCE OF UNCERTAINTY MODEL OF GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER: EVIDENCE FROM UK AND ITALIAN UNDERGRADUATE SAMPLES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gioia Bottesi

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The Intolerance of Uncertainty Model (IUM of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD attributes a key role to Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU, and additional roles to Positive Beliefs about Worry (PBW, Negative Problem Orientation (NPO, and Cognitive Avoidance (CA, in the development and maintenance of worry, the core feature of GAD. Despite the role of the IUM components in worry and GAD has been considerably demonstrated, to date no studies have explicitly assessed whether and how PBW, NPO, and CA might turn IU into worry and somatic anxiety. The current studies sought to re-examine the IUM by assessing the relationships between the model’s components on two different non-clinical samples made up of UK and Italian undergraduate students. One-hundred and seventy UK undergraduates and 488 Italian undergraduates completed measures assessing IU, worry, somatic anxiety, depression, and refined measures of NPO, CA, and PBW. In each sample, two mediation models were conducted in order to test whether PBW, NPO, and CA differentially mediate the path from IU to worry and the path from IU to somatic anxiety. Secondly, it was tested whether IU also moderates the mediations. Main findings showed that, in the UK sample, only NPO mediated the path from IU to worry; as far as concern the path to anxiety, none of the putative mediators were significant. Differently, in the Italian sample PBW and NPO were mediators in the path from IU to worry, whereas only CA played a mediational role in the path from IU to somatic anxiety. Lastly, IU was observed to moderate only the association between NPO and worry, and only in the Italian sample. Some important cross-cultural, conceptual, and methodological issues raised from main results are discussed.

The RCF and government policy. Proof of evidence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, P.; Western, R.

1996-01-01

Proof of Evidence by an expert witness is presented in support of the case by Friends of the Earth (FOE) against the proposed construction by UK Nirex Ltd of an underground Rock Characterisation Facility (RCF) at a site in the Sellafield area. The RCF is part of an investigation by Nirex into a suitable site for an uderground repository for the disposal of radioactive waste. The objections were raised at a Planning Inquiry in 1995. This evidence examines Nirex's proposal in the light of UK Government Policy on radioactive waste disposal and in particular recent significant changes. These changes, set out in a White Paper in July 1995, specify scientific and sustainability criteria which in the view of FOE are not met by Nirex's research relating to the site and especially to the RCF. It is concluded that planning permission should not be granted in the light of the large amount of further work that needs to be undertaken before construction, the length of time this would take, and the lack of a properly validated baseline model of existing conditions at the site. (43 references). (UK)

Nuclear power and the UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murphy, St.

2009-01-01

This series of slides describes the policy of the UK government concerning nuclear power. In January 2008 the UK Government published the White Paper on the Future of Nuclear Power. The White Paper concluded that new nuclear power stations should have a role to play in this country's future energy mix. The role of the Government is neither to build nuclear power plants nor to finance them. The White Paper set out the facilitative actions the Government planned to take to reduce regulatory and planning risks associated with investing in new nuclear power stations. The White Paper followed a lengthy period of consultation where the UK Government sought a wide variety of views from stakeholders and the public across the country on the future of nuclear power. In total energy companies will need to invest in around 30-35 GW of new electricity generating capacity over the next two decades. This is equivalent to about one-third of our existing capacity. The first plants are expected to enter into service by 2018 or sooner. The Office for Nuclear Development (OND) has been created to facilitate new nuclear investment in the UK while the Nuclear Development Forum (NDF) has been established to lock in momentum to secure the long-term future of nuclear power generation in the UK. (A.C.)

The role of the national general medical journal: surveys of which journals UK clinicians read to inform their clinical practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Teresa H; Hanney, Stephen; Buxton, Martin J

2008-12-01

For biomedical research findings to contribute toward health gains they must reach clinicians. Academic journals have historically been considered important information sources. Birken and Parkin found seven journals to most consistently contain the best pediatric evidence and, of these seven, four were general medical journals. We surveyed clinicians in three UK medical specialties (psychiatry, surgery and pediatrics), asking which journals they read and which they considered important to inform their clinical practice. The readership of general medical journals, in comparison to specialty and sub-specialty journals, is widespread across the three UK medical specialties, although the importance of general medical journals varies widely. The BMJ is the most prominent general medical journal in terms of readership and importance but a dominant specialty or sub-specialty journal was usually more important for most groups. The Lancet is less widely read and less important, although more academics than non-academics consider it important. Overall, key general medical journals play an important role. Journal availability and cost, particularly in relation to membership for UK clinicians, and the position of academics and non-academics have to be considered in any analysis. Three of the four general medical journals containing the best pediatric evidence were found to be widely read by UK pediatricians and two UK-based general medical journals, the BMJ and The Lancet, were also considered important in our survey. Further investigation of the reasons for the importance of a journal and studies that would allow international comparisons would provide greater input to the discussion.

49 CFR 230.77 - Foundation brake gear.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Foundation brake gear. 230.77 Section 230.77... Tenders Brake and Signal Equipment § 230.77 Foundation brake gear. (a) Maintenance. Foundation brake gear...) Distance above the rails. No part of the foundation brake gear of the steam locomotive or tender shall be...

Training Teachers to Deliver Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Learning from the UK Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Crane, Rebecca S; Kuyken, Willem; Hastings, Richard P; Rothwell, Neil; Williams, J Mark G

2010-06-01

Several randomised controlled trials suggest that mindfulness-based approaches are helpful in preventing depressive relapse and recurrence, and the UK Government's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has recommended these interventions for use in the National Health Service. There are good grounds to suggest that mindfulness-based approaches are also helpful with anxiety disorders and a range of chronic physical health problems, and there is much clinical and research interest in applying mindfulness approaches to other populations and problems such as people with personality disorders, substance abuse, and eating disorders. We review the UK context for developments in mindfulness-based approaches and set out criteria for mindfulness teacher competence and training steps, as well as some of the challenges and future directions that can be anticipated in ensuring that evidence-based mindfulness approaches are available in health care and other settings.

Industrial Foundations in the Danish Economy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Steen

Industrial Foundations (foundations that own business companies) are found around the world e.g in Northern Europe, Germany, the US and India, but nowhere do they appear to be as economically important as in Denmark. In this paper we review their share of the Danish economy. We find that foundation......-owned companies account for 5-10% of the Danish economy depending on measurement. However, they constitute the bulk of Danish stock market capitalization and R&D expenditure, and they also contribute disproportionally to international business activity. Finally the industrial foundations make charitable donations...

Do health partnerships with organisations in lower income countries benefit the UK partner? A review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Felicity Ae; Knights, Daniel Ph; Sinclair, Vita Fe; Baraitser, Paula

2013-08-30

Health partnerships between institutions in the UK and Low or Lower- middle Income Countries are an increasingly important model of development, yet analysis of partnerships has focused on benefits and costs to the Low and Lower- Middle Income partner. We reviewed the evidence on benefits and costs of health partnerships to UK individuals, institutions & the NHS and sought to understand how volunteering within partnerships might impact on workforce development and service delivery. A systematic review of both published literature and grey literature was conducted. Content relating to costs or benefits to the UK at an individual, institutional or system level was extracted and analysed by thematic synthesis. The benefits of volunteering described were mapped to the key outcome indicators for five different UK professional development structures. A framework was developed to demonstrate the link between volunteer experience within partnerships and improved UK service delivery outcomes. The literature review (including citation mapping) returned 9 published papers and 32 pieces of grey literature that met all inclusion criteria. 95% of sources cited benefits and 32% cited costs. Most literature does not meet high standards of formal academic rigor. Forty initial individual benefits codes were elicited. These were then grouped into 7 key domains: clinical skills; management skills; communication & teamwork; patient experience & dignity; policy; academic skills; and personal satisfaction & interest. A high degree of concordance was shown between professional benefits cited and professional development indicators within UK work force development frameworks. A theoretical trajectory from volunteer experience to UK service delivery outcomes was demonstrated in most areas, but not all. 32% of sources cited costs, yielding 15 initial codes which were grouped into 5 domains: financial; reputational; health & security; loss of staff; and opportunity costs. There is little

The Influence of Physical Activity, Sport and Exercise Motives among UK-Based University Students

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Simon; Reeves, Matthew; Ryrie, Angus

2015-01-01

Recent evidence suggests that the majority of the adult population fails to achieve the recommended target of 30-minutes moderate intensity exercise, days a week. This includes university students who often have the time to engage in physical activity. The aim of this study was to determine exercise motives for a UK-based student population. The…

AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety

Science.gov (United States)

... of Top Deadly Mistakes Made by Teen Drivers -- AAA AAA: Road debris causes avoidable crashes, deaths Save the ... and 500 deaths! Foundation News Stay Tuned New AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety website coming Fall 2017 ...

Foundations of Neuromorphic Computing

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-01

paradigms: few sensors/complex computations and many sensors/simple computation. Challenges with Nano-enabled Neuromorphic Chips A wide variety of...FOUNDATIONS OF NEUROMORPHIC COMPUTING MAY 2013 FINAL TECHNICAL REPORT APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE; DISTRIBUTION...2009 – SEP 2012 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE FOUNDATIONS OF NEUROMORPHIC COMPUTING 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER IN-HOUSE 5b. GRANT NUMBER N/A 5c. PROGRAM

Challenges in collecting clinical samples for research from pregnant women of South Asian origin: evidence from a UK study.

Science.gov (United States)

Neelotpol, Sharmind; Hay, Alastair W M; Jolly, A Jim; Woolridge, Mike W

2016-08-31

To recruit South Asian pregnant women, living in the UK, into a clinicoepidemiological study for the collection of lifestyle survey data and antenatal blood and to retain the women for the later collection of cord blood and meconium samples from their babies for biochemical analysis. A longitudinal study recruiting pregnant women of South Asian and Caucasian origin living in the UK. Recruitment of the participants, collection of clinical samples and survey data took place at the 2 sites within a single UK Northern Hospital Trust. Pregnant women of South Asian origin (study group, n=98) and of Caucasian origin (comparison group, n=38) living in Leeds, UK. Among the participants approached, 81% agreed to take part in the study while a 'direct approach' method was followed. The retention rate of the participants was a remarkable 93.4%. The main challenges in recruiting the ethnic minority participants were their cultural and religious conservativeness, language barrier, lack of interest and feeling of extra 'stress' in taking part in research. The chief investigator developed an innovative participant retention method, associated with the women's cultural and religious practices. The method proved useful in retaining the participants for about 5 months and in enabling successful collection of clinical samples from the same mother-baby pairs. The collection of clinical samples and lifestyle data exceeded the calculated sample size required to give the study sufficient power. The numbers of samples obtained were: maternal blood (n=171), cord blood (n=38), meconium (n=176), lifestyle questionnaire data (n=136) and postnatal records (n=136). Recruitment and retention of participants, according to the calculated sample size, ensured sufficient power and success for a clinicoepidemiological study. Results suggest that development of trust and confidence between the participant and the researcher is the key to the success of a clinical and epidemiological study involving

Corporate Ownership by Industrial Foundations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Steen

1999-01-01

Industrial foundations are self-governing non profit institutions that own business companies. This ownership structure is found in a fair number of Northern European companies, some of them successful world class competitors. Standard agency theory would predict foundation-owned companies...... to be relatively inefficient since they lack monitoring by residual claimants and access to equity finance from the stock market. Nevertheless, empirical research (Thomsen 1996) has found that Danish foundation-owned companies do no worse in terms of profitability and growth than companies with dispersed ownership...

Sustainability in the UK construction minerals industry

OpenAIRE

Mitchell, Clive

2015-01-01

Sustainability in the UK construction minerals industry Clive Mitchell, Industrial Minerals Specialist, British Geological Survey, Nottingham, UK Email: Sustainability is not just about environmental protection it also concerns biodiversity, community relations, competence, employment, geodiversity, health and safety, resource efficiency, restoration and stakeholder accountability. The UK construction minerals industry aims to supply essential materials in a sustainabl...

The future of UK gas producers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hallas, P.A.

1991-01-01

Traditionally, an oil company wishing to develop UK gas reserves almost always faced a protracted gas sales negotiation with British Gas. British Gas then had an effective monopoly in the resale of that gas to final consumers. This traditional pattern is now in a process of fundamental change, as a result of recent UK gas market re-regulation and the emergence of a new large scale opportunity to sell gas for power generation. The impact of these changes is still not very well understood outside a relatively small group of gas specialists but is likely to be significant for British Gas, consumers and UK gas producers. This paper outlines the background to the recent changes, the possible future of UK gas marketing and the likely impact on gas producers in the North Sea

UK manufacturers construction joint venture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-07-01

This report examines the legal and commercial framework for UK manufacturers to collaborate in a construction venture for a small combustion/steam cycle power plant fueled with biomass. The integration of technology and project plan, the working capital and capitalisation, financial aspects, the market plan, turnkey packages, joint venture entities, and collaboration are discussed. (UK)

Wave Forces on Windturbine Foundations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Brian Juul; Frigaard, Peter

A testprogramme has been performed to determine the wave forces on two types of foundations for an offshore windturbine. the tested foundation types are a monopile and cone. Furthermore the shaft of the cone has been tested....

The medline UK filter: development and validation of a geographic search filter to retrieve research about the UK from OVID medline.

Science.gov (United States)

Ayiku, Lynda; Levay, Paul; Hudson, Tom; Craven, Jenny; Barrett, Elizabeth; Finnegan, Amy; Adams, Rachel

2017-07-13

A validated geographic search filter for the retrieval of research about the United Kingdom (UK) from bibliographic databases had not previously been published. To develop and validate a geographic search filter to retrieve research about the UK from OVID medline with high recall and precision. Three gold standard sets of references were generated using the relative recall method. The sets contained references to studies about the UK which had informed National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance. The first and second sets were used to develop and refine the medline UK filter. The third set was used to validate the filter. Recall, precision and number-needed-to-read (NNR) were calculated using a case study. The validated medline UK filter demonstrated 87.6% relative recall against the third gold standard set. In the case study, the medline UK filter demonstrated 100% recall, 11.4% precision and a NNR of nine. A validated geographic search filter to retrieve research about the UK with high recall and precision has been developed. The medline UK filter can be applied to systematic literature searches in OVID medline for topics with a UK focus. © 2017 Crown copyright. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2017 Health Libraries GroupThis article is published with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland.

What do UK doctors in training value in a post? A discrete choice experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Cleland, Jennifer; Johnston, Peter; Watson, Verity; Krucien, Nicolas; Skåtun, Diane

2016-02-01

Many individual and job-related factors are known to influence medical careers decision making. Medical trainees' (residents) views of which characteristics of a training post are important to them have been extensively studied but how they trade-off these characteristics is under-researched. Such information is crucial for the development of effective policies to enhance recruitment and retention. Our aim was to investigate the strength of UK foundation doctors' and trainees' preferences for training post characteristics in terms of monetary value. We used an online questionnaire study incorporating a discrete choice experiment (DCE), distributed to foundation programme doctors and doctors in training across all specialty groups within three UK regions, in August-October 2013. The main outcome measures were monetary values for training-post characteristics, based on willingness to forgo and willingness to accept extra income for a change in each job characteristic, calculated from regression coefficients. The questionnaire was answered by 1323 trainees. Good working conditions were the most influential characteristics of a training position. Trainee doctors would need to be compensated by an additional 49.8% above the average earnings within their specialty to move from a post with good working conditions to one with poor working conditions. A training post with limited rather than good opportunities for one's spouse or partner would require compensation of 38.4% above the average earnings within their specialty. Trainees would require compensation of 30.8% above the average earnings within their specialty to move from a desirable to a less desirable locality. These preferences varied only to a limited extent according to individual characteristics. Trainees place most value on good working conditions, good opportunities for their partners and desirable geographical location when making career-related decisions. This intelligence can be used to develop alternative

The foundation of self-esteem.

Science.gov (United States)

Bailey, Joseph A

2003-05-01

Self-esteem is a simplistic term for varied and complex mental states pertaining to how one views oneself. It takes but little research in the voluminous literature to see the vagueness and inconsistencies in its various definitions. Even more problematic is the uncertainty concerning its foundational components. The importance of having a solid definition and specific ideas about the foundational components of self-esteem is that both pave the way to recognizing its causes; to predicting effects from those causes; and to organizing the trouble-shooting process for locating those philosophical flaws or psychological scars which lead to low self-esteem. The purpose of this paper is to offer a common ground for thinking about self-esteem at its most basic level. In order to distinguish the "basic level" from the rest of the components of self-esteem, let us liken it to a skyscraper building. Here, the focus is on the building's "underground foundation" and the base upon which that foundation rests. The base is a definition that allows for the assessment of the foundation. The underground foundation itself consists of the mental building blocks called self-meaning, self-identity, self-image, and self-concepts. To help illustrate their interactions, a few of the "masks" and "faces" of self-esteem will be mentioned. What is not being addressed is the "above ground structure"--those theories and manifestations dealt with by most mental health specialists.

Implications of sustainability constraints on UK bioenergy development: Assessing optimistic and precautionary approaches with UK MARKAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDowall, Will; Anandarajah, Gabrial; Dodds, Paul E.; Tomei, Julia

2012-01-01

Bioenergy is an important renewable energy resource. However, assessments of the future of bioenergy are beset with uncertainty and contested values, suggesting that a precautionary approach to bioenergy resource development may be warranted. This paper uses UK MARKAL to examine the implications of adopting a precautionary approach to bioenergy development in the UK. The paper reports a detailed review of UK bioenergy resources and sustainability constraints, and develops precautionary and optimistic resource scenarios. The paper then examines the implications of these scenarios using the energy systems model MARKAL, finding that a precautionary approach adds to the cost of decarbonisation, but does not significantly alter the optimal technology mix. In particular, biomass and co-firing CCS emerge as optimal technologies across scenarios. The question of UK land availability for bioenergy production is highlighted within the paper. With less land available for bioenergy production, the costs of decarbonisation will rise; whereas if more land is available for bioenergy, then less land is available for either food production or ecosystem conservation. This paper quantifies one side of this trade-off, by estimating the additional costs incurred when UK land availability for bioenergy production is constrained. - Highlights: ► We assess UK bioenergy resources under optimistic and precautionary approaches. ► Using MARKAL, we find that sustainability constraints add to decarbonisation costs. ► Preferred use of bioenergy is similar in optimistic and precautionary cases. ► Best use of bioenergy is heat and power, not transport, if CCS is available. ► The marginal value of additional land availability to the energy system is high.

Unknown foundation determination for scour.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-01

Unknown foundations affect about 9,000 bridges in Texas. For bridges over rivers, this creates a problem : regarding scour decisions as the calculated scour depth cannot be compared to the foundation depth, and a : very conservative costly approach m...

Foundational aspects of security

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chatzikokolakis, Konstantinos; Mödersheim, Sebastian Alexander; Palamidessi, Catuscia

2014-01-01

This Special Issue of the Journal of Computer Security focuses on foundational aspects of security, which in recent years have helped change much of the way we think about and approach system security.......This Special Issue of the Journal of Computer Security focuses on foundational aspects of security, which in recent years have helped change much of the way we think about and approach system security....

Drivers of Public Attitudes towards Small Wind Turbines in the UK.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cerian Tatchley

Full Text Available Small Wind Turbines (SWTs are a growing micro-generation industry with over 870,000 installed units worldwide. No research has focussed on public attitudes towards SWTs, despite evidence the perception of such attitudes are key to planning outcomes and can be a barrier to installations. Here we present the results of a UK wide mail survey investigating public attitudes towards SWTs. Just over half of our respondents, who were predominantly older, white males, felt that SWTs were acceptable across a range of settings, with those on road signs being most accepted and least accepted in hedgerows and gardens. Concern about climate change positively influenced how respondents felt about SWTs. Respondent comments highlight visual impacts and perceptions of the efficiency of this technology are particularly important to this sector of the UK public. Taking this into careful consideration, alongside avoiding locating SWTs in contentious settings such as hedgerows and gardens where possible, may help to minimise public opposition to proposed installations.

Drivers of Public Attitudes towards Small Wind Turbines in the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Tatchley, Cerian; Paton, Heather; Robertson, Emma; Minderman, Jeroen; Hanley, Nicholas; Park, Kirsty

2016-01-01

Small Wind Turbines (SWTs) are a growing micro-generation industry with over 870,000 installed units worldwide. No research has focussed on public attitudes towards SWTs, despite evidence the perception of such attitudes are key to planning outcomes and can be a barrier to installations. Here we present the results of a UK wide mail survey investigating public attitudes towards SWTs. Just over half of our respondents, who were predominantly older, white males, felt that SWTs were acceptable across a range of settings, with those on road signs being most accepted and least accepted in hedgerows and gardens. Concern about climate change positively influenced how respondents felt about SWTs. Respondent comments highlight visual impacts and perceptions of the efficiency of this technology are particularly important to this sector of the UK public. Taking this into careful consideration, alongside avoiding locating SWTs in contentious settings such as hedgerows and gardens where possible, may help to minimise public opposition to proposed installations.

Drivers of Public Attitudes towards Small Wind Turbines in the UK

Science.gov (United States)

Tatchley, Cerian; Paton, Heather; Robertson, Emma; Minderman, Jeroen; Hanley, Nicholas; Park, Kirsty

2016-01-01

Small Wind Turbines (SWTs) are a growing micro-generation industry with over 870,000 installed units worldwide. No research has focussed on public attitudes towards SWTs, despite evidence the perception of such attitudes are key to planning outcomes and can be a barrier to installations. Here we present the results of a UK wide mail survey investigating public attitudes towards SWTs. Just over half of our respondents, who were predominantly older, white males, felt that SWTs were acceptable across a range of settings, with those on road signs being most accepted and least accepted in hedgerows and gardens. Concern about climate change positively influenced how respondents felt about SWTs. Respondent comments highlight visual impacts and perceptions of the efficiency of this technology are particularly important to this sector of the UK public. Taking this into careful consideration, alongside avoiding locating SWTs in contentious settings such as hedgerows and gardens where possible, may help to minimise public opposition to proposed installations. PMID:27011356

Marfan Foundation

Science.gov (United States)

... The Marfan Foundation Marfan & Related Disorders What is Marfan Syndrome? What are Related Disorders? What are the Signs? ... Click to see what's happening around the country! Marfan syndrome is a life-threatening genetic disorder, and an ...

Vasculitis Foundation

Science.gov (United States)

... Our Board Our Team Anniversary Vasculitis Foundation Newsletters Annual Reports Press Page Literature Order Form Join Contact Us Dream Big Donate Donate Support the VF Through the Amazon Smile Program United Way Giving Ways to Give ...

Forensic bitemark identification: weak foundations, exaggerated claims

Science.gov (United States)

Saks, Michael J.; Albright, Thomas; Bohan, Thomas L.; Bierer, Barbara E.; Bowers, C. Michael; Bush, Mary A.; Bush, Peter J.; Casadevall, Arturo; Cole, Simon A.; Denton, M. Bonner; Diamond, Shari Seidman; Dioso-Villa, Rachel; Epstein, Jules; Faigman, David; Faigman, Lisa; Fienberg, Stephen E.; Garrett, Brandon L.; Giannelli, Paul C.; Greely, Henry T.; Imwinkelried, Edward; Jamieson, Allan; Kafadar, Karen; Kassirer, Jerome P.; Koehler, Jonathan ‘Jay’; Korn, David; Mnookin, Jennifer; Morrison, Alan B.; Murphy, Erin; Peerwani, Nizam; Peterson, Joseph L.; Risinger, D. Michael; Sensabaugh, George F.; Spiegelman, Clifford; Stern, Hal; Thompson, William C.; Wayman, James L.; Zabell, Sandy; Zumwalt, Ross E.

2016-01-01

Abstract Several forensic sciences, especially of the pattern-matching kind, are increasingly seen to lack the scientific foundation needed to justify continuing admission as trial evidence. Indeed, several have been abolished in the recent past. A likely next candidate for elimination is bitemark identification. A number of DNA exonerations have occurred in recent years for individuals convicted based on erroneous bitemark identifications. Intense scientific and legal scrutiny has resulted. An important National Academies review found little scientific support for the field. The Texas Forensic Science Commission recently recommended a moratorium on the admission of bitemark expert testimony. The California Supreme Court has a case before it that could start a national dismantling of forensic odontology. This article describes the (legal) basis for the rise of bitemark identification and the (scientific) basis for its impending fall. The article explains the general logic of forensic identification, the claims of bitemark identification, and reviews relevant empirical research on bitemark identification—highlighting both the lack of research and the lack of support provided by what research does exist. The rise and possible fall of bitemark identification evidence has broader implications—highlighting the weak scientific culture of forensic science and the law's difficulty in evaluating and responding to unreliable and unscientific evidence. PMID:28852538

Perceptions of UK medical graduates' preparedness for practice: a multi-centre qualitative study reflecting the importance of learning on the job.

Science.gov (United States)

Illing, Jan C; Morrow, Gill M; Rothwell nee Kergon, Charlotte R; Burford, Bryan C; Baldauf, Beate K; Davies, Carol L; Peile, Ed B; Spencer, John A; Johnson, Neil; Allen, Maggie; Morrison, Jill

2013-02-28

There is evidence that graduates of different medical schools vary in their preparedness for their first post. In 2003 Goldacre et al. reported that over 40% of UK medical graduates did not feel prepared and found large differences between graduates of different schools. A follow-up survey showed that levels of preparedness had increased yet there was still wide variation. This study aimed to examine whether medical graduates from three diverse UK medical schools were prepared for practice. This was a qualitative study using a constructivist grounded theory approach. Prospective and cross-sectional data were collected from the three medical schools.A sample of 60 medical graduates (20 from each school) was targeted. They were interviewed three times: at the end of medical school (n = 65) and after four (n = 55) and 12 months (n = 46) as a Year 1 Foundation Programme doctor. Triangulated data were collected from clinicians via interviews across the three sites (n = 92). In addition three focus groups were conducted with senior clinicians who assess learning portfolios. The focus was on identifying areas of preparedness for practice and any areas of lack of preparedness. Although selected for being diverse, we did not find substantial differences between the schools. The same themes were identified at each site. Junior doctors felt prepared in terms of communication skills, clinical and practical skills and team working. They felt less prepared for areas of practice that are based on experiential learning in clinical practice: ward work, being on call, management of acute clinical situations, prescribing, clinical prioritisation and time management and dealing with paperwork. Our data highlighted the importance of students learning on the job, having a role in the team in supervised practice to enable them to learn about the duties and responsibilities of a new doctor in advance of starting work.

LTDNA Evidence on Trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul Roberts

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Adopting the interpretative/hermeneutical method typical of much legal scholarship, this article considers two sets of issues pertaining to LTDNA profiles as evidence in criminal proceedings. Section 1 addresses some rather large questions about the epistemic status and probative value of expert testimony in general. It sketches a theoretical model of expert evidence, highlighting five essential criteria: (1 expert competence; (2 disciplinary domain; (3 methodological validity; (4 materiality; and (5 legal admissibility. This generic model of expert authority, highlighting law’s fundamentally normative character, applies to all modern forms of criminal adjudication, across Europe and farther afield. Section 2 then examines English and Northern Irish courts’ attempts to get to grips with LTDNA evidence in recent cases. Better appreciating the ways in which UK courts have addressed the challenges of LTDNA evidence may offer some insights into parallel developments in other legal systems. Appellate court rulings follow a predictable judicial logic, which might usefully be studied and reflected upon by any forensic scientist or statistician seeking to operate effectively in criminal proceedings. Whilst each legal jurisdiction has its own unique blend of jurisprudence, institutions, cultures and historical traditions, there is considerable scope for comparative analysis and cross-jurisdictional borrowing and instruction. In the spirit of promoting more nuanced and sophisticated international interdisciplinary dialogue, this article examines UK judicial approaches to LTDNA evidence and begins to elucidate their underlying institutional logic. Legal argument and broader policy debates are not confined to considerations of scientific validity, contamination risks and evidential integrity, or associated judgments of legal admissibility or exclusion. They also crucially concern the manner in which LTDNA profiling results are presented and explained to

Sharps injuries in UK health care: a review of injury rates, viral transmission and potential efficacy of safety devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Elder, Alexander; Paterson, Caron

2006-12-01

To review the literature on sharps injuries and occupational bloodborne virus transmission in health care in the UK and the worldwide evidence for injury prevention of sharps safety devices. Literature review by online database and Internet resource search. Twenty-four relevant publications were identified regarding UK reported sharps injury rates. UK studies showed as much as a 10-fold difference between injuries reported through standard reporting systems (0.78-5.15 per 100 person-years) and rates estimated from retrospective questionnaires of clinical populations (30-284 per 100 person-years). National surveillance data from England, Wales and Northern Ireland gives a rate of 1.43 known hepatitis C virus or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmissions to health care workers per annum. When extrapolated, this suggests an approximate rate of 0.009 such viral transmissions per 1000 hospital beds per annum. Risk of infection from sources with no risk factors is extremely small (less than one in one million for HIV transmission based on Scottish data). Thirty-one studies on the efficacy of sharps safety devices showed evidence of a reduction in injuries, with the greatest reductions achieved by blunt suture needles and safety cannulae. Although injuries remain common, confirmed viral transmission in the UK has been relatively rare. The degree of under-reporting of sharps injuries may be as much as 10-fold. Safety-engineered devices are likely to be effective at injury reduction.

Indoor air quality: a UK perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wadge, A.

1995-01-01

Outdoor air quality has generally improved in the UK over the last 2 decades but during this period changing conditions within the home have tended to reduce ventilation and increase the opportunity for accumulation of undesirable levels of indoor air pollutants. Information obtained from laboratory and epidemiological studies suggest that indoor air pollutants are an important cause of avoidable morbidity and mortality in the UK. This paper reviews the major indoor air pollutants of concern in the UK and considers some of the special issues relevant to indoor environment. (author) 3 figs., 37 refs

The relationship between childhood trauma and adult psychosis in a UK Early Intervention Service: results of a retrospective case note study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reeder FD

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Francesca D Reeder,1 Nusrat Husain,2 Abdul Rhouma,3 Peter M Haddad,2 Tariq Munshi,4 Farooq Naeem,4 Davit Khachatryan,4 Imran B Chaudhry2 1School of Medicine, 2Neurosciences and Psychiatry Unit, University of Manchester, Manchester, 3Early Intervention Service, Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust, Preston, UK; 4Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada Aim: There is evidence that childhood trauma is a risk factor for the development of psychosis and it is recommended that childhood trauma is inquired about in all patients presenting with psychosis. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of childhood trauma in patients in the UK Early Intervention Service based on a case note review.Methods: This is a retrospective case note study of 296 patients in an UK Early Intervention Service. Trauma history obtained on service entry was reviewed and trauma experienced categorized. Results were analyzed using crosstab and frequency analysis.Results: The mean age of the sample was 24 years, 70% were male, 66% were White, and 23% Asian (ethnicity not documented in 11% of the sample. Approximately 60% of patients reported childhood trauma, 21% reported no childhood trauma, and data were not recorded for the remaining 19%. Among those reporting trauma, the prevalence of most frequently reported traumas were: severe or repeated disruption (21%, parental mental illness (19%, bullying (18%, absence of a parent (13%, and ‘other’ trauma (24% – the majority of which were victimization events. Sixty-six percent of those reporting trauma had experienced multiple forms of trauma.Conclusion: A high prevalence of childhood trauma (particularly trauma related to the home environment or family unit was reported. This is consistent with other studies reporting on trauma and psychosis. The main weakness of the study is a lack of a control group reporting experience of childhood trauma in those without psychosis. Guidelines recommend that all patients with

Prospects for UK fuel cells component suppliers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilcox, C.; Tunnicliffe, M.

2002-07-01

This report examines the capabilities of the UK fuel cell industry in meeting the expected increase in demand, and aims to identify all UK suppliers of fuel cell components, evaluate their products and match them to fuel cell markets, and identify components where the UK is in a competitive position. Component areas are addressed along with the need to reduce costs and ensure efficient production. The well established supplier base in the UK is noted, and the car engine manufacturing base and fuel supply companies are considered. The different strengths of UK suppliers of the various types of fuel cells are listed. The future industry structure, the opportunities and dangers for business posed by fuel cells, the investment in cleaner technologies by the large fuel companies, opportunities for catalyst suppliers, and the residential combined heat and power and portable electronics battery markets are discussed.

History of evidence-based medicine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roger L Sur

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This essay reviews the historical circumstances surrounding the introduction and evolution of evidence-based medicine. Criticisms of the approach are also considered. Weaknesses of existing standards of clinical practice and efforts to bring more certainty to clinical decision making were the foundation for evidence-based medicine, which integrates epidemiology and medical research. Because of its utility in designing randomized clinical trials, assessing the quality of the literature, and applying medical research at the bedside, evidence-based medicine will continue to have a strong influence on everyday clinical practice.

PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF THE HISTORICAL CRITICAL PEDAGOGY AND THE FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATIONAL OF PSYCHOLOGY HISTORICAL-CULTURAL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ligia Marcia Martins

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This article presents the theoretical and methodological unity between the historical-critical pedagogy and cultural-historical psychology. It highlights, in addition to the membership of both theories to historical-dialectical materialism, the basic premises that point toward the affirmation of school education as a condition of humanization of individuals, as well as the transmission of historically systematized knowledge as one of the requirements for the achieving this purpose. In this direction, we aim to demonstrate that the historical-critical pedagogy contains, in its innerness, a solid psychological foundation, consistently built by a cultural-historical conception of man, society and educative nature that guides the relationship between them through the human vital activity, that is, through the work. It is in the core of those fundamentals that the alliance between this pedagogical theory and cultural-historical psychology is evident.

Does the private sector receive an excessive return from investments in health care infrastructure projects? Evidence from the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Vecchi, Veronica; Hellowell, Mark; Gatti, Stefano

2013-05-01

This paper is concerned with the cost-efficiency of Private Finance Initiatives (PFIs) in the delivery of hospital facilities in the UK. We outline a methodology for identifying the "fair" return on equity, based on the Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) of each investor. We apply this method to assess the expected returns on a sample of 77 contracts signed between 1997 and 2011 by health care provider organisations in the UK. We show that expected returns are in general in excess of the WACC benchmarks. The findings highlight significant problems in current procurement practices and the methodologies by which bids are assessed. To minimise the financial impact of hospital investments on health care systems, a regulatory regime must ensure that expected returns are set at the "fair" rate. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

RISK MANAGEMENT AND EXPERTISE: UK: Strategies for Precautionary Commercialization of GM Crops

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Levidow Les

2000-07-01

Full Text Available As genetically modified (GM products approach the market stage, the UK government and agro-food industry have faced a suspicious or hostile public. Since 1998 many retail chains have undertaken to exclude any GM-derived ingredients from their own-brand lines. This commercial blockage has intensified pressures for greater precaution, even for a moratorium on cultivating GM crops. Political protest has led to strategies for precautionary commercialization. Government and industry have cooperated to plan a “managed development” of GM crops. Across the agricultural supply chain, industry has devised voluntary guidelines to ensure segregation of GM crops and to limit the spread of GM herbicide-tolerance. In particular UK regulators seek to test the risk that broad-spectrum herbicide sprays could damage wildlife habitats; they have broadened the advisory expertise accordingly. These measures open up the precautionary content to further debate, at both national and EU levels. Market-stage precautions establish a means to test claims that GM crops are environmentally-friendly products. By translating public concerns into broader risk-assessment criteria, the UK procedure involves critics in potentially influencing standards of scientific evidence and environmental harm. This social process has become a prerequisite for legitimizing commercial use.

Provision of relapse prevention interventions in UK NHS Stop Smoking Services: a survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

McEwen Andy

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background UK NHS Stop Smoking Services provide cost effective smoking cessation interventions but, as yet, there has been no assessment of their provision of relapse prevention interventions. Methods Electronic questionnaire survey of 185 UK Stop Smoking Services Managers. Results Ninety six Stop Smoking Service managers returned completed questionnaires (52% response rate. Of these, 58.3% (n = 56 ran NHS Stop Smoking Services which provided relapse prevention interventions for clients with the most commonly provided interventions being behavioural support: telephone (77%, group (73%, and individual (54%. Just under half (48%, n = 27 offered nicotine replacement therapy (NRT, 21.4% (n = 12 bupropion; 19.6% (n = 11 varenicline. Over 80% of those providing relapse prevention interventions do so for over six months. Nearly two thirds of all respondents thought it was likely that they would either continue to provide or commence provision of relapse prevention interventions in their services. Of the remaining respondents, 66.7% (n = 22 believed that the government focus on four-week quit rates, and 42.9% (14 services believed that inadequate funding for provision of relapse prevention interventions, were major barriers to introducing these interventions into routine care. Conclusions Just over half of UK managers of NHS Stop Smoking Services who responded to the questionnaire reported that, in their services, relapse prevention interventions were currently provided for clients, despite, at that time, there being a weak evidence base for their effectiveness. The most commonly provided relapse prevention interventions were those for which there was least evidence. If these interventions are found to be effective, barriers would need to be removed before they would become part of routine care.

Who thinks what about e-cigarette regulation? A content analysis of UK newspapers.

Science.gov (United States)

Patterson, Chris; Hilton, Shona; Weishaar, Heide

2016-07-01

To establish how frequently different types of stakeholders were cited in the UK media debate about e-cigarette regulation, their stances towards different forms of e-cigarette regulation, and what rationales they employed in justifying those stances. Quantitative and qualitative content analyses of 104 articles about e-cigarette regulation published in eight UK and three Scottish national newspapers between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2014. Reporting on e-cigarette regulation grew significantly (P e-cigarette regulation greatly outnumbered arguments against regulation. Regulating purchasing age, restricting marketing and regulating e-cigarettes as medicine were broadly supported, while stakeholders disagreed about prohibiting e-cigarette use in enclosed public spaces. In rationalizing their stances, supporters of regulation cited child protection and concerns about the safety of e-cigarette products, while opponents highlighted the potential of e-cigarettes in tobacco cessation and questioned the evidence base associating e-cigarette use with health harms. In the UK between 2013 and 2014, governments and tobacco control advocates frequently commented on e-cigarettes in UK-wide and Scottish national newspapers. Almost all commentators supported e-cigarette regulation, but there was disagreement about whether e-cigarette use should be allowed in enclosed public spaces. This appeared to be linked to whether commentators emphasized the harms of vapour and concerns about renormalizing smoking or emphasized the role of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid. © 2016 The Authors. Addiction published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society for the Study of Addiction.

The Unfair Commercial Practices Directive in the UK

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M. Koutsias (Marios); C. Willett (Chris)

2013-01-01

markdownabstract__Abstract__ This article shows that the UK has blended preventive and traditional UK criminal enforcement techniques to implement the UCPD; these techniques have been 'Europeanised' by the UCPD unfairness concepts; and the UCPD may also cause UK private law to be Europeanised in

Seismic isolation of two dimensional periodic foundations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, Y.; Mo, Y. L.; Laskar, A.; Cheng, Z.; Shi, Z.; Menq, F.; Tang, Y.

2014-01-01

Phononic crystal is now used to control acoustic waves. When the crystal goes to a larger scale, it is called periodic structure. The band gaps of the periodic structure can be reduced to range from 0.5 Hz to 50 Hz. Therefore, the periodic structure has potential applications in seismic wave reflection. In civil engineering, the periodic structure can be served as the foundation of upper structure. This type of foundation consisting of periodic structure is called periodic foundation. When the frequency of seismic waves falls into the band gaps of the periodic foundation, the seismic wave can be blocked. Field experiments of a scaled two dimensional (2D) periodic foundation with an upper structure were conducted to verify the band gap effects. Test results showed the 2D periodic foundation can effectively reduce the response of the upper structure for excitations with frequencies within the frequency band gaps. When the experimental and the finite element analysis results are compared, they agree well with each other, indicating that 2D periodic foundation is a feasible way of reducing seismic vibrations.

Statement about UK referendum on the EU

CERN Multimedia

2016-01-01

Dear Colleagues, Many people have expressed their concerns about the consequences of the 23 June vote in the UK for CERN, and for the UK’s relationship with CERN. CERN is an intergovernmental organisation subject to its own treaty. We are not part of the European Union, and several of our Member States, including Switzerland, in which we are headquartered, are not EU Members. Britain’s membership of CERN is not affected by the UK electorate’s vote to leave the European Union. We look forward to continuing the very constructive relationship we have shared with the UK, one of our founding members, long into the future. CERN was founded on the principle of international collaboration, and our success over the years is built on that. We will continue to work proactively to encourage ever-greater international collaboration in particle physics, and to help ensure that the UK continues to play a very active role. UK nationals remain eligible for all categories of employment at CERN, a...

UK nuclear terrorism insurance arrangements: an overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tetley, M. G.

2004-01-01

The risk of terrorism in the UK is not new, but since the New York World Trade Centre attacks in 2001, the potential scale of any terrorist attack has required a considerable reassessment. With UK foreign policy closely aligned to that of the USA, the UK security services now consider it is simply a matter of when and no longer if the UK is attacked. For insurers of any type this fact would cause concern; for insurers involved in high profile and potentially catastrophic loss targets such as nuclear power plants, any attack could have a severe impact on solvency and shareholder's funds. This paper's objective is to describe the terrorism insurance arrangements put in place in the U.K. both before and after the September 2001 attacks. These arrangements have been designed both to safeguard insurers' solvency and to ensure that the nuclear industry and general public can continue to be reassured by the availability of insurance should an attack ever occur.(author)

A firm-level dataset for analyzing entry, exit, employment and R&D expenditures in the UK: 1997-2012.

Science.gov (United States)

Ugur, Mehmet; Trushin, Eshref; Solomon, Edna

2016-09-01

This data article is related to the research article entitled "Inverted-U relationship between R&D intensity and survival: Evidence on scale and complementarity effects in UK data" (Ugur et al., In press) [1]. It describes the trends in R&D expenditures, employment of R&D personnel and firm entry and exit rates in the UK from 1998 to 2012. We also provide statistics on net employment creation and net R&D investments due to firm entry and exits. In addition, we compute the correlation coefficients between entry and exit rates at the two digit industry level so as to examine whether the correlations are contemporaneous or inter-temporal. Finally, we provide information about the underlying dataset to which secure access is available through UK Data Service Archive 7716 at http://dx.doi.org/10.5255/UKDA-SN-7716-1.

The effect of recent amblyopia research on current practice in the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Newsham, D

2010-10-01

Several studies have recently provided insights into how amblyopia may be most effectively managed. Despite the new evidence, a US study reported that a recent randomised controlled trial had made little influence on clinical practice. The aims of this research are to assess current practice of amblyopia management in the UK and to determine the comparability with the evidence-based recommendations. A questionnaire was constructed to assess current amblyopia management practice, particularly in relation to areas investigated by recent research and emailed to every head orthoptist within the UK. There was a great deal of variability in the amount of occlusion that was prescribed for moderate and severe amblyopia. Sixty per cent of clinicians indicated that the maximum they would prescribe was in excess of the 6 h recommended by research. Atropine was rarely recommended as a first-line treatment, with occlusion generally being considered to be more effective. Despite recommendations regarding education as a means of reducing non-compliance, only 39% of clinicians always gave written information, although various other methods of enhancing compliance were used. A period of refractive adaptation was allowed by most clinicians but often far less than recommended. The uptake of recent research evidence into clinical practice is sporadic and incomplete with one-third of respondents indicating that following the studies, they had made no changes whatsoever to their practice. This is similar to other areas of medicine; the reasons are likely to be varied, and is an area that would benefit from greater attention.

The future of the UK gas network

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dodds, Paul E.; McDowall, Will

2013-01-01

The UK has an extensive natural gas pipeline network supplying 84% of homes. Previous studies of decarbonisation pathways using the UK MARKAL energy system model have concluded that the low-pressure gas networks should be mostly abandoned by 2050, yet most of the iron pipes near buildings are currently being replaced early for safety reasons. Our study suggests that this programme will not lock-in the use of gas in the long-term. We examine potential future uses of the gas network in the UK energy system using an improved version of UK MARKAL that introduces a number of decarbonisation options for the gas network including bio-methane, hydrogen injection to the natural gas and conversion of the network to deliver hydrogen. We conclude that hydrogen conversion is the only gas decarbonisation option that might enable the gas networks to continue supplying energy to most buildings in the long-term, from a cost-optimal perspective. There is an opportunity for the government to adopt a long-term strategy for the gas distribution networks that either curtails the iron mains replacement programme or alters it to prepare the network for hydrogen conversion; both options could substantially reduce the long-term cost of supplying heat to UK buildings. - Highlights: • We examine the long-term future of the UK gas pipe networks using the UK MARKAL model. • The iron mains replacement programme will not lead to gas infrastructure lock-in. • Bio-methane and hydrogen injection have only a small role in our future scenarios. • The most cost-optimal strategy might be to convert the networks to deliver hydrogen. • Adopting a long-term gas strategy could reduce the cost of providing heat in the UK

The effect of functional hearing loss and age on long- and short-term visuospatial memory: evidence from the UK biobank resource.

Science.gov (United States)

Rönnberg, Jerker; Hygge, Staffan; Keidser, Gitte; Rudner, Mary

2014-01-01

The UK Biobank offers cross-sectional epidemiological data collected on >500,000 individuals in the UK between 40 and 70 years of age. Using the UK Biobank data, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of functional hearing loss and hearing aid usage on visuospatial memory function. This selection of variables resulted in a sub-sample of 138,098 participants after discarding extreme values. A digit triplets functional hearing test was used to divide the participants into three groups: poor, insufficient and normal hearers. We found negative relationships between functional hearing loss and both visuospatial working memory (i.e., a card pair matching task) and visuospatial, episodic long-term memory (i.e., a prospective memory task), with the strongest association for episodic long-term memory. The use of hearing aids showed a small positive effect for working memory performance for the poor hearers, but did not have any influence on episodic long-term memory. Age also showed strong main effects for both memory tasks and interacted with gender and education for the long-term memory task. Broader theoretical implications based on a memory systems approach will be discussed and compared to theoretical alternatives.

The Effect of Functional Hearing Loss and Age on Long- and Short-term Visuospatial Memory: Evidence from the UK Biobank Resource

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jerker eRönnberg

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The UK Biobank offers cross-sectional epidemiological data collected on > 500 000 individuals in the UK between 40 and 70 years of age. Using the UK Biobank data, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of functional hearing loss and hearing aid usage on visuospatial memory function. This selection of variables resulted in a sub-sample of 138 098 participants after discarding extreme values. A digit triplets functional hearing test was used to divide the participants into three groups: poor, insufficient and normal hearers. We found negative relationships between functional hearing loss and both visuospatial working memory (i.e., a card pair matching task and visuospatial, episodic long-term memory (i.e., a prospective memory task, with the strongest association for episodic long-term memory. The use of hearing aids showed a small positive effect for working memory performance for the poor hearers, but did not have any influence on episodic long-term memory. Age also showed strong main effects for both memory tasks and interacted with gender and education for the long-term memory task. Broader theoretical implications based on a memory systems approach will be discussed and compared to theoretical alternatives.

Where is the evidence for emergency planning: a scoping review.

Science.gov (United States)

Challen, Kirsty; Lee, Andrew C K; Booth, Andrew; Gardois, Paolo; Woods, Helen Buckley; Goodacre, Steve W

2012-07-23

Recent terrorist attacks and natural disasters have led to an increased awareness of the importance of emergency planning. However, the extent to which emergency planners can access or use evidence remains unclear. The aim of this study was to identify, analyse and assess the location, source and quality of emergency planning publications in the academic and UK grey literature. We conducted a scoping review, using as data sources for academic literature Embase, Medline, Medline in Process, Psychinfo, Biosis, Science Citation Index, Cinahl, Cochrane library and Clinicaltrials.gov. For grey literature identification we used databases at the Health Protection Agency, NHS Evidence, British Association of Immediate Care Schemes, Emergency Planning College and the Health and Safety Executive, and the websites of UK Department of Health Emergency Planning Division and UK Resilience.Aggregative synthesis was used to analyse papers and documents against a framework based on a modified FEMA Emergency Planning cycle. Of 2736 titles identified from the academic literature, 1603 were relevant. 45% were from North America, 27% were commentaries or editorials and 22% were event reports.Of 192 documents from the grey literature, 97 were relevant. 76% of these were event reports.The majority of documents addressed emergency planning and response. Very few documents related to hazard analysis, mitigation or capability assessment. Although a large body of literature exists, its validity and generalisability is unclear There is little evidence that this potential evidence base has been exploited through synthesis to inform policy and practice. The type and structure of evidence that would be of most value of emergency planners and policymakers has yet to be identified.

Where is the evidence for emergency planning: a scoping review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Challen Kirsty

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Recent terrorist attacks and natural disasters have led to an increased awareness of the importance of emergency planning. However, the extent to which emergency planners can access or use evidence remains unclear. The aim of this study was to identify, analyse and assess the location, source and quality of emergency planning publications in the academic and UK grey literature. Methods We conducted a scoping review, using as data sources for academic literature Embase, Medline, Medline in Process, Psychinfo, Biosis, Science Citation Index, Cinahl, Cochrane library and Clinicaltrials.gov. For grey literature identification we used databases at the Health Protection Agency, NHS Evidence, British Association of Immediate Care Schemes, Emergency Planning College and the Health and Safety Executive, and the websites of UK Department of Health Emergency Planning Division and UK Resilience. Aggregative synthesis was used to analyse papers and documents against a framework based on a modified FEMA Emergency Planning cycle. Results Of 2736 titles identified from the academic literature, 1603 were relevant. 45% were from North America, 27% were commentaries or editorials and 22% were event reports. Of 192 documents from the grey literature, 97 were relevant. 76% of these were event reports. The majority of documents addressed emergency planning and response. Very few documents related to hazard analysis, mitigation or capability assessment. Conclusions Although a large body of literature exists, its validity and generalisability is unclear There is little evidence that this potential evidence base has been exploited through synthesis to inform policy and practice. The type and structure of evidence that would be of most value of emergency planners and policymakers has yet to be identified.

A Good Foundation for Number Learning for Five-Year-Olds? An Evaluation of the English Early Learning "Numbers" Goal in the Light of Research

Science.gov (United States)

Gifford, Sue

2014-01-01

This article sets out to evaluate the English Early Years Foundation Stage Goal for Numbers, in relation to research evidence. The Goal, which sets out to provide "a good foundation in mathematics", has greater breadth of content and higher levels of difficulty than previous versions. Research suggests that the additional expectations…

Theodore Presser and His Foundation.

Science.gov (United States)

Nazzaro, William J.

1983-01-01

Describes the life of Theodore Presser and the establishment of the Presser Foundation in 1916. Presser was a music publisher and the founder of "Etude" magazine. The Presser Foundation provides scholarships to music students, aid to elderly music teachers, and help to colleges for building music facilities. (CS)

Agreement of label information of cardiovascular drugs in pregnancy among Korea, the USA, the UK, and Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Shin Haeng; Shin, Ju-Young; Park, Mi-Ju; Park, Byung-Joo

2014-04-01

Drug label is a common source of information; however, the content varies widely. This study aims to evaluate label information on cardiovascular drugs regarding pregnancy for their similarities in Korea, USA, UK, and Japan. Study drugs were selected as following (1) cardiovascular drugs according to the WHO ATC code (C01-C09) and (2) drugs currently marketed in all four countries were included. Evidence level was classified into five categories ('Definite', 'Probable', 'Possible', 'Unlikely', and 'Unclassified') and recommendation level was classified into four categories ('Contraindicated', 'Cautious', 'Compatible', and 'Unclassified'). Frequency and proportion were presented. Percent agreement and kappa coefficient with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using SAS ver. 9.3. Total of 50 cardiovascular drugs were included. 'Unclassified' was represented the most in Korea, followed by Japan and UK (58%, 54%, and 46%, pdrugs in all four countries were classified as 'contraindicated' or 'cautious'. Japanese labels had the largest proportion of 'contraindicated' level (62%), and Korea and UK followed (58%, 44%, pdrugs were 'compatible' whereas, there were none in Korea, UK, and Japan (pdrugs in pregnancy differed widely. Reliable safety information in pregnancy should be provided through regular updates. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Profiles of Nine Community Colleges with Successful Foundations.

Science.gov (United States)

Angel, Dan; Gares, Dale

1981-01-01

College profiles include the following information: type of college, location, enrollment, age of college, total budget, foundation's years of experience, non-profit status, total foundation assets, dollar support for 1979-80, responsibility for foundation, number of foundation board members, most successful fund-raising methods, and restrictions…

What are the priorities for future success in critical care research in the UK? Report from a national stakeholder meeting.

Science.gov (United States)

Walsh, Tim; Brett, Stephen J

2015-11-01

Critical care in the United Kingdom is now well-established in terms of professional status, standards of clinical practice and training, and national audit through professional bodies and government representation. Research is fundamental to the further development and maturation of the specialty, to develop new therapies and technologies, more efficient and effective service organisation, and to improve patient and family experience and outcomes. Critical care research has expanded rapidly in the UK, and now has established organisations and infrastructure to share and develop ideas, through the UK Critical Care Research Forum and similar meetings. In September 2014, the Intensive Care Foundation and Critical Care Leadership Forum hosted a research colloquium to reflect, in part, on achievements, but more importantly plan for the future. With an invited list of participants the meeting explored firstly - the practical delivery of clinical research and secondly - the future financing landscape, from both academic funders' and commercial developers' perspectives. The following article summarises the important 'take home' messages from this meeting and suggests key issues for future strategy.

'Pop-Up' Governance: developing internal governance frameworks for consortia: the example of UK10K.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaye, Jane; Muddyman, Dawn; Smee, Carol; Kennedy, Karen; Bell, Jessica

2015-01-01

Innovations in information technologies have facilitated the development of new styles of research networks and forms of governance. This is evident in genomics where increasingly, research is carried out by large, interdisciplinary consortia focussing on a specific research endeavour. The UK10K project is an example of a human genomics consortium funded to provide insights into the genomics of rare conditions, and establish a community resource from generated sequence data. To achieve its objectives according to the agreed timetable, the UK10K project established an internal governance system to expedite the research and to deal with the complex issues that arose. The project's governance structure exemplifies a new form of network governance called 'pop-up' governance. 'Pop-up' because: it was put together quickly, existed for a specific period, was designed for a specific purpose, and was dismantled easily on project completion. In this paper, we use UK10K to describe how 'pop-up' governance works on the ground and how relational, hierarchical and contractual governance mechanisms are used in this new form of network governance.

Three dimensional periodic foundations for base seismic isolation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan, Y; Mo, Y L; Cheng, Z; Shi, Z; Menq, F; Tang, Y

2015-01-01

Based on the concept of phononic crystals, periodic foundations made of periodic materials are investigated in this paper. The periodic foundations can provide low frequency band gaps, which cover the main frequency ranges of seismic waves. Therefore, the periodic foundations are able to protect the upper structures during earthquake events. In this paper, the basic theory of three dimensional periodic foundations is studied and the finite element method was used to conduct the sensitivity study. A simplified three-dimensional periodic foundation with a superstructure was tested in the field and the feasibility of three dimensional periodic foundations was proved. The test results showed that the response of the upper structure with the three dimensional periodic foundation was reduced under excitation waves with the main frequency falling in the attenuation zones. The finite element analysis results are consistent with the experimental data, indicating that three dimensional periodic foundations are a feasible way of reducing seismic vibrations. (paper)

Experimental study on embedment effect of foundation, 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohtomo, Keizo; Toma, Junichi; Hashimoto, Koichi; Hanada, Kazutake; Ueshima, Teruyuki; Yajima, Hiroshi

1986-01-01

In order to make clear the dynamic behavior of a embeded foundation on the quarternary ground experimentally, a series of forced vibration tests and seismic observation on both the small foundation (4 x 4 x 3 m) and the embeded form larger scale foundation of the shaking table (16 x 16 x 7.7 m) were conducted at the same site. The purposes this study are evaluating the dynamic behavior and the characteristics of dynamic stiffness and damping of the larger foundation based on forced vibration tests, and applying them to the dynamic response analysis of variable embedded foundations. In this report, the authors first examine frequency dependent property and its theoretical tendency of dynamic stiffness and damping surrounding table foundation. And then, consider an applicability and point of discussion related with the some theories which influence the embedment effect, in contrast with the experimental datum of the model foundation are past studies on a embedment effect (JPDR, Large-Scale Foundation in Tadotsu). (author)

Polish Foundation for Energy Efficiency

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-12-31

The Polish Foundation for Energy Efficiency (FEWE) was established in Poland at the end of 1990. FEWE, as an independent and non-profit organization, has the following objectives: to strive towards an energy efficient national economy, and to show the way and methods by use of which energy efficiency can be increased. The activity of the Foundation covers the entire territory of Poland through three regional centers: in Warsaw, Katowice and Cracow. FEWE employs well-known and experienced specialists within thermal and power engineering, civil engineering, economy and applied sciences. The organizer of the Foundation has been Battelle Memorial Institute - Pacific Northwest Laboratories from the USA.

Foundations on Expansive Soils; A Review

OpenAIRE

Behzad Kalantari

2012-01-01

This study describes various types of foundation designs to be considered for structural engineering projects when the subsoil foundation consists of expansive or swelling soils. Among civil and architectural engineers expansive soils are known to be difficult foundation materials and problematic. These type of soils swell when they are subjected to moistures and shrink due to moisture loss. Because of this different behaviour upon wetting and drying, they cause minor to major structural dama...

Screening and treatment for heritable thrombophilia in pregnancy failure: inconsistencies among UK early pregnancy units.

Science.gov (United States)

Norrie, Gillian; Farquharson, Roy G; Greaves, Mike

2009-01-01

The significance of heritable thrombophilia in pregnancy failure is controversial. We surveyed all UK Early Pregnancy Units and 70% responded. The majority test routinely for heritable thrombophilias; 80%, 76% and 88% undertook at least one screening test in late miscarriage, recurrent miscarriage and placental abruption, respectively. The range of thrombophilias sought is inconsistent: testing for proteins C and S deficiency and F5 R506Q (factor V Leiden) is most prevalent. Detection of heritable thrombophilia frequently leads to administration of antithrombotics in subsequent pregnancies. Thus, thrombophilia testing and use of antithrombotics are widespread in the UK despite controversies regarding the role of heritable thrombophilia in the pathogenesis of pregnancy complications, and the lack of robust evidence for the efficacy of antithrombotic therapy.

Computer modelling of the UK wind energy resource: UK wind speed data package and user manual

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burch, S F; Ravenscroft, F

1993-12-31

A software package has been developed for IBM-PC or true compatibles. It is designed to provide easy access to the results of a programme of work to estimate the UK wind energy resource. Mean wind speed maps and quantitative resource estimates were obtained using the NOABL mesoscale (1 km resolution) numerical model for the prediction of wind flow over complex terrain. NOABL was used in conjunction with digitised terrain data and wind data from surface meteorological stations for a ten year period (1975-1984) to provide digital UK maps of mean wind speed at 10m, 25m and 45m above ground level. Also included in the derivation of these maps was the use of the Engineering Science Data Unit (ESDU) method to model the effect on wind speed of the abrupt change in surface roughness that occurs at the coast. With the wind speed software package, the user is able to obtain a display of the modelled wind speed at 10m, 25m and 45m above ground level for any location in the UK. The required co-ordinates are simply supplied by the user, and the package displays the selected wind speed. This user manual summarises the methodology used in the generation of these UK maps and shows computer generated plots of the 25m wind speeds in 200 x 200 km regions covering the whole UK. The uncertainties inherent in the derivation of these maps are also described, and notes given on their practical usage. The present study indicated that 23% of the UK land area had speeds over 6 m/s, with many hill sites having 10m speeds over 10 m/s. It is concluded that these `first order` resource estimates represent a substantial improvement over the presently available `zero order` estimates. (18 figures, 3 tables, 6 references). (author)

The injured mind in the UK Armed Forces

Science.gov (United States)

Greenberg, N.; Jones, E.; Jones, N.; Fear, N. T.; Wessely, S.

2011-01-01

The mental health of the UK Armed Forces is a topic much debated by healthcare professionals, politicians and the media. While the current operations in Afghanistan, and the recent conflict in Iraq, are relevant to this debate, much of what is known about the effects of war upon the psyche still derives from the two World Wars. This paper will examine the historical and contemporary evidence about why it is that some Service personnel suffer psychological injuries during their military service and others do not. The paper will also consider some of the strategies that today's Armed Forces have put in place to mitigate the effects of sending military personnel into danger. PMID:21149361

The Foundation Handbook: A Private Foundation Approach to Fund Raising at State Colleges and Universities.

Science.gov (United States)

Lemish, Donald L.

Guidelines for state colleges and universities who wish to use a foundation as an umbrella organization for receiving all private gifts, restricted and unrestricted, are presented. In examining the need for a foundation, attention should be directed to: establishing credibility, marshalling volunteers, providing for a mechanism for accepting life…

Arthritis Foundation

Science.gov (United States)

... Vision Leadership News Partners & Sponsors Careers Code of Ethics Financials Annual Report Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Donate Press Store Blog Community Local Offices Kids Get Arthritis Too Español Arthritis Today Social Media Newsletters Sign Up for E-Newsletters Arthritis Foundation ...

Geohazards affecting UNESCO WHL sites in the UK observed from geological data and satellite InSAR

Science.gov (United States)

Cigna, Francesca; Tapete, Deodato; Lee, Kathryn

2016-08-01

Geohazards pose significant threats to cultural and natural heritage worldwide. In the UK, only 1 out of 29 UNESCO World Heritage List (WHL) sites has been inscribed on the list of World Heritage in Danger, whilst it is widely accepted that many more could be affected by geohazards. In this paper we set out the foundations of a methodological approach to analyse geological, geohazard and remote sensing data available at the British Geological Survey to retrieve an overview of geohazards affecting the UK WHL sites. The Castles and Town Walls (constructed in the time of King Edward I) in Gwynedd in north Wales are used as test sites to showcase the methodology for geohazard assessment at the scale of individual property also to account for situations of varied geology and local topography across multiproperty WHL sites. How such baseline geohazard assessment can be combined with space-borne radar interferometry (InSAR) data is showcased for the four UNESCO WHL sites located in Greater London. Our analysis feeds into the innovative contribution that the JPI-CH project PROTHEGO `PROTection of European cultural HEritage from GeOhazards' (www.prothego.eu) is making towards mapping geohazards in the 400+ WHL sites of Europe by exploiting non-invasive remote sensing methods and surveying technologies.

A Blueprint for Success: A Model for Developing Engineering Education in the UK

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melanie Rose Nova King

2014-03-01

Full Text Available This paper details the emergence and development of the ‘Centre for Engineering and Design Education’ (CEDE at Loughborough University, UK, and provides a blueprint for success. With ample evidence that such a Centre can prove to be a highly effective support mechanism for discipline-specific academics and can develop and maintain valuable national and international networks and collaborations along with considerable esteem for the host university. The CEDE is unique in the UK and has achieved considerable success and recognition within the local engineering education community and beyond for the past 16 years. Here we discuss the historical background of the Centre’s development, the context in which it operates, and its effective management and operation strategy. The success it has enjoyed is described through examples, with much evidence of the generation of a significant amount of external funding; the development of high quality learning spaces; learning technology systems, open source software and improvements in curriculum design; a strong record of research and publication on the pedagogy of engineering; strong links with industry and employers; and a wealth of connections and know-how built up over the years. This paper provides the institutions with a model blueprint for success in developing engineering education.

Signature Pedagogies for Social Foundations: Negotiating Social Foundations Teaching Practices in the Field of Education

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider, Sandra B.

2010-01-01

The conflicts arising between the pedagogical preferences of the fields of instructional design and technology (IDT) and social foundations of education are substantial. This conflict is primarily one of pedagogical values separating the Social Foundations with its emphasis on critical and creative thinking and the presumption of value and theory…

Foundation heat transfer analysis for buildings with thermal piles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Almanza Huerta, Luis Enrique; Krarti, Moncef

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A numerical transient thermal model for thermo-active foundations is developed. • Thermal interactions between thermal piles and building foundations are evaluated. • A simplified analysis method of thermal interactions between thermal piles and building foundations is developed. - Abstract: Thermal piles or thermo-active foundations utilize heat exchangers embedded within foundation footings to heat and/or cool buildings. In this paper, the impact of thermal piles on building foundation heat transfer is investigated. In particular, a simplified analysis method is developed to estimate the annual ground-coupled foundation heat transfer when buildings are equipped with thermal piles. First, a numerical analysis of the thermal performance of thermo-active building foundations is developed and used to assess the interactions between thermal piles and slab-on-grade building foundations. The impact of various design parameters and operating conditions is evaluated including foundation pile depth, building slab width, foundation insulation configuration, and soil thermal properties. Based on the results of a series of parametric analyses, a simplified analysis method is presented to assess the impact of the thermal piles on the annual heat fluxes toward or from the building foundations. A comparative evaluation of the predictions of the simplified analysis method and those obtained from the detailed numerical analysis indicated good agreement with prediction accuracy lower than 5%. Moreover, it is found that thermal piles can affect annual building foundation heat loss/gain by up to 30% depending on foundation size and insulation level

Research reactor fuel transport in the U.K

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Panter, R [U.K. Atomic Energy Authority, Harwell (United Kingdom)

1983-09-01

This paper describes the containers currently used for transport of fresh or spent fuel elements for Research and Materials Test Reactors in the U.K., their status, operating procedures and some of the practical difficulties. In the U.K., MTR fuel cycle work is almost entirely the responsibility of the U.K. Atomic Energy Authority.

Moral foundations vignettes: a standardized stimulus database of scenarios based on moral foundations theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Clifford, Scott; Iyengar, Vijeth; Cabeza, Roberto; Sinnott-Armstrong, Walter

2015-12-01

Research on the emotional, cognitive, and social determinants of moral judgment has surged in recent years. The development of moral foundations theory (MFT) has played an important role, demonstrating the breadth of morality. Moral psychology has responded by investigating how different domains of moral judgment are shaped by a variety of psychological factors. Yet, the discipline lacks a validated set of moral violations that span the moral domain, creating a barrier to investigating influences on judgment and how their neural bases might vary across the moral domain. In this paper, we aim to fill this gap by developing and validating a large set of moral foundations vignettes (MFVs). Each vignette depicts a behavior violating a particular moral foundation and not others. The vignettes are controlled on many dimensions including syntactic structure and complexity making them suitable for neuroimaging research. We demonstrate the validity of our vignettes by examining respondents' classifications of moral violations, conducting exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and demonstrating the correspondence between the extracted factors and existing measures of the moral foundations. We expect that the MFVs will be beneficial for a wide variety of behavioral and neuroimaging investigations of moral cognition.

Moral foundations vignettes: a standardized stimulus database of scenarios based on moral foundations theory

Science.gov (United States)

Iyengar, Vijeth; Cabeza, Roberto; Sinnott-Armstrong, Walter

2016-01-01

Research on the emotional, cognitive, and social determinants of moral judgment has surged in recent years. The development of moral foundations theory (MFT) has played an important role, demonstrating the breadth of morality. Moral psychology has responded by investigating how different domains of moral judgment are shaped by a variety of psychological factors. Yet, the discipline lacks a validated set of moral violations that span the moral domain, creating a barrier to investigating influences on judgment and how their neural bases might vary across the moral domain. In this paper, we aim to fill this gap by developing and validating a large set of moral foundations vignettes (MFVs). Each vignette depicts a behavior violating a particular moral foundation and not others. The vignettes are controlled on many dimensions including syntactic structure and complexity making them suitable for neuroimaging research. We demonstrate the validity of our vignettes by examining respondents’ classifications of moral violations, conducting exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, and demonstrating the correspondence between the extracted factors and existing measures of the moral foundations. We expect that the MFVs will be beneficial for a wide variety of behavioral and neuroimaging investigations of moral cognition. PMID:25582811

Nuclear prospects in the UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hawley, Robert

1993-01-01

During the late 1980s and early 1990s the UK government decided to privatise the UK electricity supply industry. In order to introduce competition into the generation side of the business it was decided that the large generating boards - the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) and in Scotland, the South of Scotland Electricity Board and North of Scotland Hydro Board, - should be split up into smaller companies. In England and Wales two companies were proposed. The larger company National Power would include the nuclear generating business in England and Wales, the smaller company, Power Gen would use fossil generation only. Scotland was also to have two companies, Scottish Power - including Scotland's nuclear stations - and Scottish Hydro. But these were troubled times for the UK nuclear industry. A lot of misinformation was being issued by its opponents, in particular about decommissioning and fuel reprocessing costs. Looking back I can see there were reasons for that. Both National Power and Scottish Power wanted to be absolutely certain that they got the best possible deal and that every imaginable, and unimaginable, cost that may ever arise would be taken care of. This attitude resulted in the estimate of huge liabilities and 'unprecedented guarantees' that the then Secretary of State for Energy in the UK, could not accept

Digital Natives: Where Is the Evidence?

Science.gov (United States)

Helsper, Ellen Johanna; Eynon, Rebecca

2010-01-01

Generational differences are seen as the cause of wide shifts in our ability to engage with technologies and the concept of the digital native has gained popularity in certain areas of policy and practice. This paper provides evidence, through the analysis of a nationally representative survey in the UK, that generation is only one of the…

UK creates new funding super-body

Science.gov (United States)

2017-06-01

The UK government has passed its higher-education and research bill, which includes the creation of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) - a new umbrella organization that will oversee the country’s seven research councils such as the Science and Technology Facilities Council and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

Migration and adult education: social movement learning and resistance in the UK

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Grayson

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The article is based on data and evidence from a project of ‘activist research’ in migrant and refugee social movements in South Yorkshire U.K. The article argues that migrants’ social movements have been neglected as important in the development of popular adult education in the U.K. The history of migrants’ social movements from 1945 is sketched to demonstrate social movement influences on the content and ideological assumptions of state provision of adult education. The history also suggests a similar trajectory to ‘old’ contentious social movements like trades unions. The current research in migrants and asylum rights movements reported in the article suggests that migrants social movements are active and proficient in developing popular adult education initiatives including critical analysis of racist political and power discourses. The importance of these movements is demonstrated in a case study of a high profile campaign against the privatisation of asylum housing in Yorkshire by the world’s largest security company G4S.

UK nuclear installations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gronow, W.S.

Regulations and conditions for the commissioning of nuclear power plants in the UK, their siting, licence conditions, design safety assessment, inspection during construction and conditions for safety in operation are listed. (J.P.)

A UK and Ireland Survey of Educational Psychologists' Intervention Practices for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Lee; Bond, Caroline; Oldfield, Jeremy

2018-01-01

Although evidence-based interventions (EBIs) for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been identified in recent systematic literature reviews, the extent to which the practice of educational psychologists (EPs) in the UK and Ireland is informed by these is unknown. This study presents the results of a questionnaire that surveyed 146 EP…

UK Chemical Nuclear Data Committee request list - 1990

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nichols, A.L.

1990-03-01

The 1986 UK request list for chemical nuclear data has been reviewed in detail by members of the UK Chemical Nuclear Data Committee. New requirements for data measurements and evaluations have been identified, and specific requests have been withdrawn. A new UK request list has evolved, and is given in the form of tabulations covering measurements and evaluations. (author)

Strategy for energy policy in the UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stone, T.

2012-01-01

UK Energy Policy is leading the world in showing how governments can effectively respond to the now widely accepted challenges of security of supply, low-carbon generation and pragmatic implementation. Confidence in the UK as place to invest in new nuclear is very high-there are already 3 developers who have between them already invested over 1 billion, 5 sites are planned to be developed and between 10 and 12 new reactors are planned to be built. To be clear, this is by far the largest commitment to new nuclear in the Western World and swamps in other countries. This achievement is a combination of vision, continuity, political consensus and a group of ministers and officials who are clear in the goals for the long-term sustain ability of an energy policy that will dramatically affect the lives of many generations to come. Recognising the multi-generational obligations and consequences of government policy's key to ensuring that this investment continues, together with the maintenance of the trust that investors have developed in the management of energy policy by the UK government. There is no doubt in the commitment of the UK government to delivering the safe, secure and low-carbon energy future of the UK. The opportunities for businesses and high-quality job creation are undoubted-all that now has to happen is for developers, reactor vendors, construction companies and communities to show how they can together deliver the cheapest form of low-carbon base load to time and to cost and to the benefit of local communities and the UK economy. the world is watching for the UK to show how it can be done. (Author)

Foundations for the Future: The Fundraising Role of Foundation Boards at Public Colleges and Universities

Science.gov (United States)

Worth, Michael

2012-01-01

In the face of rising costs and a prolonged economic downturn, public colleges and universities are being challenged to increase their sources of private support and philanthropy. Drawing on the findings of a recent AGB survey of public college- and university-affiliated foundation board chairs and chief executive officers, Foundations for the…

Wronski's Foundations of Mathematics.

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, Roi

2016-09-01

Argument This paper reconstructs Wronski's philosophical foundations of mathematics. It uses his critique of Lagrange's algebraic analysis as a vignette to introduce the problems that he raised, and argues that these problems have not been properly appreciated by his contemporaries and subsequent commentators. The paper goes on to reconstruct Wronski's mathematical law of creation and his notions of theory and techne, in order to put his objections to Lagrange in their philosophical context. Finally, Wronski's proof of his universal law (the expansion of a given function by any series of functions) is reviewed in terms of the above reconstruction. I argue that Wronski's philosophical approach poses an alternative to the views of his contemporary mainstream mathematicians, which brings up the contingency of their choices, and bridges the foundational concerns of early modernity with those of the twentieth-century foundations crisis. I also argue that Wronski's views may be useful to contemporary philosophy of mathematical practice, if they are read against their metaphysical grain.

Validity of the Perceived Health Competence Scale in a UK primary care setting.

OpenAIRE

Dempster, Martin; Donnelly, Michael

2008-01-01

The Perceived Health Competence Scale (PHCS) is a measure of self-efficacy regarding general healthrelated behaviour. This brief paper examines the psychometric properties of the PHCS in a UK context. Questionnaires containing the PHCS, the SF-36 and questions about perceived health needs were posted to 486 patients randomly selected from a GP practice list. Complete questionnaires were returned by 320 patients. Analyses of these responses provide strong evidence for the validity of the PHCS ...

Nutrition interventions in women in low-income groups in the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Annie S

2007-02-01

In the UK the mental and physical health and well-being of millions of women are influenced by living in poverty. Low educational attainment, unemployment, low pay and poor areas of residence exacerbate the challenges of obtaining optimal food choices, dietary intake and healthy eating patterns. Poorer women are more likely to eat low amounts of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and fish, and higher amounts of sugar and sweetened drinks compared with more affluent women. Diet contributes to the health inequalities evident in high rates of diet-related morbidity (including obesity) and mortality (including IHD and stroke) and in maternal and child health considerations (including breast-feeding and family diet practices). There is a dearth of research on effective interventions undertaken with low-income women, reflecting some of the challenges of engaging and evaluating programmes with this 'hard to reach' subpopulation. Intervention programmes from the USA, including WISEWOMAN, the Women's Health Initiative, the American Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program provide models for changing behaviour amongst women in the UK, although overall effects of such programmes are fairly modest. Lack of evidence does not mean that that policy work should be not be undertaken, but it is essential that policy work should be evaluated for its ability to engage with target groups as well as for the behavioural change and health outcomes.

Evolution of power plant foundations in Nova Scotia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, C.T.; Larade, M.; Myette, R.; MacIvor, T. [Nova Scotia Power Inc., Halifax, NS (Canada)

2009-07-01

Many thermal steam plants in Nova Scotia, including the first 3 units Dartmouth's Tufts Cove Generating Station, were constructed on bedrock and near the sea for easy access to cooling water. Major equipment foundations such as turbine/condenser foundations, boiler feed pump foundations and fan foundations are concrete block foundations that are designed to withstand the heavy equipment and environmental loads imposed throughout the service-life of the plant. This paper discussed the rationale for choosing different types of foundations at the 5 power generating units at the Tufts Cove Generating Station. Due to the presence of boulders, pipe piles were installed in drilled holes in 1995 for the unit 2 precipitator foundation. In 2005, micro-piles were installed for unit 1 and 3 precipitators because they were relatively non-protrusive for the congested urban site that was full of buried structures and services. Similarly, for the unit 4 and 5 sound wall foundations, the high resistance capacities for both downward and uplift loads of the micro-piles embedded into the bedrock proved to be very valuable. These tall wall structures are subject to very high wind loads and were constructed at a geotechnically challenged site. Good geotechnical investigation and consultation was shown to be the basis for good design and construction of foundation works. It was concluded that the lessons learned at Tufts Cove can be applied to other similar foundation designs. 7 refs., 10 figs.

Update on Radioactive Waste Management in the UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dalton, John; McCall, Ann

2003-01-01

This paper provides a brief background to the current position in the United Kingdom (UK) and provides an update on the various developments and initiatives within the field of radioactive waste management that have been taking place during 2002/03. These include: The UK Government's Department of Trade and Industry (DTi) review of UK energy policy; The UK Government's (Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and Devolved Administrations*) consultation program; The UK Government's DTi White Paper, 'Managing the Nuclear Legacy: A Strategy for Action'; Proposals for improved regulation of Intermediate Level Waste (ILW) conditioning and packaging. These various initiatives relate, in Nirex's opinion, to the three sectors of the industry and this paper will provide a comment on these initiatives in light of the lessons that Nirex has learnt from past events and suggest some conclusions for the future

Industrial Foundations as Long-Term Owners

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Steen; Poulsen, Thomas; Børsting, Christa Winther

Short-termism has become a serious concern for corporate governance, and this has inspired a search for institutional arrangements to promote long-term decision-making. In this paper, we call attention to long-term ownership by industrial foundations, which is common in Northern Europe but little...... known in the rest of the world. We use a unique Danish data set to document that industrial foundations are long-term owners that practice long-term governance. We show that foundation ownership is highly stable compared to other ownership structures. Foundation-owned companies replace managers less...... frequently. They have conservative capital structures with low financial leverage. They score higher on an index of long-termism in finance, investment, and employment. They survive longer. Overall, our paper supports the hypothesis that corporate time horizons are influenced by ownership structures...

Health status of UK care home residents: a cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gordon, Adam Lee; Franklin, Matthew; Bradshaw, Lucy; Logan, Pip; Elliott, Rachel; Gladman, John R F

2014-01-01

UK care home residents are often poorly served by existing healthcare arrangements. Published descriptions of residents' health status have been limited by lack of detail and use of data derived from surveys drawn from social, rather than health, care records. to describe in detail the health status and healthcare resource use of UK care home residents a 180-day longitudinal cohort study of 227 residents across 11 UK care homes, 5 nursing and 6 residential, selected to be representative for nursing/residential status and dementia registration. Barthel index (BI), Mini-mental state examination (MMSE), Neuropsychiatric index (NPI), Mini-nutritional index (MNA), EuroQoL-5D (EQ-5D), 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), diagnoses and medications were recorded at baseline and BI, NPI, GHQ-12 and EQ-5D at follow-up after 180 days. National Health Service (NHS) resource use data were collected from databases of local healthcare providers. out of a total of 323, 227 residents were recruited. The median BI was 9 (IQR: 2.5-15.5), MMSE 13 (4-22) and number of medications 8 (5.5-10.5). The mean number of diagnoses per resident was 6.2 (SD: 4). Thirty per cent were malnourished, 66% had evidence of behavioural disturbance. Residents had contact with the NHS on average once per month. residents from both residential and nursing settings are dependent, cognitively impaired, have mild frequent behavioural symptoms, multimorbidity, polypharmacy and frequently use NHS resources. Effective care for such a cohort requires broad expertise from multiple disciplines delivered in a co-ordinated and managed way.

Provision and practice of specialist preterm labour clinics: a UK survey of practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharp, A N; Alfirevic, Z

2014-03-01

To identify the current status of specialist preterm labour (PTL) clinic provision and management within the UK. Postal survey of clinical practice. All consultant-led obstetric units within the UK. A questionnaire was sent by post to all 210 NHS consultant-led obstetric units within the UK. Units that had a specialist PTL clinic were asked to complete a further 20 questions defining their protocol for risk stratification and management. Current practice in specialist preterm labour clinics. We have identified 23 specialist clinics; the most common indications for attendance were previous PTL (100%), preterm prelabour rupture of membranes (95%), two large loop excisions of the transformation zone (95%) or cone biopsy (95%). There was significant heterogeneity in the indications for and method of primary treatment for short cervix, with cervical cerclage used in 45% of units, progesterone in 18% of units and Arabin cervical pessary in 5%. A further 23% used multiple treatment modalities in combination. A significant heterogeneity in all topics surveyed suggests an urgent need for networking, more evidence-based guidelines and prospective comparative audits to ascertain the real impact of specialist PTL clinics on the reduction in preterm birth and its sequelae. © 2013 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Benefits, harms and evidence - reflections from UK primary healthcare.

Science.gov (United States)

McCartney, Margaret

2018-01-01

In this paper I examine the relationship between benefits, harms and evidence-based medicine in the context of British primary healthcare. First, I will examine: 'What is a benefit and what is a harm?' Second, what should we know about where the balance of risk and benefit appear to lie? Third, what should we do with this knowledge, particularly in the context of the biopsychosocial gaze of primary care? I conclude that even perfect knowledge about benefits and harms requires to be translated in the context of the individual patient: it also requires to be interpreted according to what that persons' wishes are. By reiterating again and again how biases are stacked in favour of recommending treatments and interventions well beyond their rational evidence, my hope is that more honest medicine will result in less but higher value medicine. Stopping doing things that don't work, or work rarely, or come with an unacceptable burden of side effects or appointments should make room for the pleasure of practicing medicine. •Even perfect knowledge about benefits and harms requires to be translated in the context of the individual patient: it also requires to be interpreted according to what that persons' wishes are.•In the real, messy frontline world of general practice, we will always have uncertainty about where the balance of risk and benefit might lie.

Foundations of Risk Analysis

CERN Document Server

Aven, Terje

2012-01-01

Foundations of Risk Analysis presents the issues core to risk analysis - understanding what risk means, expressing risk, building risk models, addressing uncertainty, and applying probability models to real problems. The author provides the readers with the knowledge and basic thinking they require to successfully manage risk and uncertainty to support decision making. This updated edition reflects recent developments on risk and uncertainty concepts, representations and treatment. New material in Foundations of Risk Analysis includes:An up to date presentation of how to understand, define and

Foundations of stochastic analysis

CERN Document Server

Rao, M M; Lukacs, E

1981-01-01

Foundations of Stochastic Analysis deals with the foundations of the theory of Kolmogorov and Bochner and its impact on the growth of stochastic analysis. Topics covered range from conditional expectations and probabilities to projective and direct limits, as well as martingales and likelihood ratios. Abstract martingales and their applications are also discussed. Comprised of five chapters, this volume begins with an overview of the basic Kolmogorov-Bochner theorem, followed by a discussion on conditional expectations and probabilities containing several characterizations of operators and mea

Foundations of predictive analytics

CERN Document Server

Wu, James

2012-01-01

Drawing on the authors' two decades of experience in applied modeling and data mining, Foundations of Predictive Analytics presents the fundamental background required for analyzing data and building models for many practical applications, such as consumer behavior modeling, risk and marketing analytics, and other areas. It also discusses a variety of practical topics that are frequently missing from similar texts. The book begins with the statistical and linear algebra/matrix foundation of modeling methods, from distributions to cumulant and copula functions to Cornish--Fisher expansion and o

The future of learning disabilities nursing in the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Clapham, Anthony

2014-07-02

This article appraises the report Strengthening the Commitment, which is a UK-wide review of learning disabilities nursing by the UK's four chief nursing officers. Strengthening the Commitment has strategic importance in reviewing progress in the care of people with learning disabilities in the UK. It also has a role in helping to guide future strategies and initiatives addressing the continuing health inequalities experienced by people with learning disabilities throughout the UK.

Characterization of bridge foundations workshop report.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-01

"In 2013, the Federal Highway Administration proposed a new research program for the characterization of bridge foundations. To narrow the focus and develop a research roadmap for the program, a workshop on Characterization of Bridge Foundations...

Oral Cancer Foundation

Science.gov (United States)

... Get involved Understanding Dental Research People Resources About Understanding Events Get involved Dental Research Resources Contact Sitemap The Oral Cancer Foundation admin 2017-11-12T16:49:25+ ...

Double income tax between UK and US, 1914-1945 – Impact on UK multinationals

OpenAIRE

Izawa, Ryo

2015-01-01

Tax rates on business income in many countries increased enormously during World War I and stayed at a much higher level than before the war. Particularly, the UK multinationals with subsidiaries based elsewhere other than the Empire suffered from the situation because the UK did not provide a foreign tax relief until 1945, when a tax treaty with US was signed. The aim of this paper is to clarify the historical premises of establishment of the tax treaty in 1945. The major premise of this pap...

Feasibility of automated foundational ontology interchangeability

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Khan, ZC

2014-11-01

Full Text Available the Source Domain Ontology (sOd), with the domain knowledge com- ponent of the source ontology, the Source Foundational Ontology (sOf ) that is the foundational ontology component of the source ontology that is to be interchanged, and any equivalence... or subsumption mappings between enti- ties in sOd and sOf . – The Target Ontology (tO) which has been interchanged, which comprises the Target Domain Ontology (tOd), with the domain knowledge component of the target ontology, and the Target Foundational Ontology...

Does national scale economic and environmental indicators spur logistics performance? Evidence from UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Syed Abdul Rehman; Qianli, Dong

2017-12-01

The aim of this study is to examine the association between national economic and environmental indicators with green logistics performance in a time series data of UK since 1981 to 2016. The research used autoregressive distributed lag method to understand the long-run and short-run relationships of national scale economic (foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows, per capita income) and environmental indicators (total greenhouse gases, fossil fuel, and renewable energy) on green logistics. In the short run, the research findings indicate that the green logistics and renewable energy have positive relationship, while fossil fuel is negatively correlated with green logistics operations. On the other hand, in the long run, the results show that FDI inflows, renewable energy sources, and per capita income have statistically significant and positive association with green logistics activities, while foreign investments attracted by environmental friendly policies and practices adopted in global logistics operations, which not only increase the environmental sustainability but also enhance economic activities with greater export opportunities in the region.

Operational radiation protection in UK mining

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Riordan, M.C.

1977-01-01

The radiological conditions of the mining industry (coal-national, coal-private, non-coal) in the UK are described. From the point of view of radiological protection, non-coal miners have the highest occupational exposure of any group in the UK in relation to a recommended limit. From the point of view of general health and safety in non-coal mining, however, the situation does not look no serious. This is illustrated as follows. The US epidemiological study of uranium miners yields, on extrapolation, a risk estimate of some 0.3 deaths annually from lung cancer per 1000 miners exposed to 100 WLM. On the other hand, accident statistics for non-coal mines in the UK yield an estimate of two deaths annually per 1000 miners. Further perspective is given to the problem by the incidence of lung cancer among adult males within the UK, that is, 1.5 cases annually per 1000 persons. Narrow concern for the radiological safety of miners must therefore be tempered with broader concern for the other hazards they face

Nuclear power costs in the UK, and reply by Sweet, C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunt, H.

1978-01-01

The criticisms made by Sweet in his article 'Nuclear Power Costs in the UK' (Energy Policy; 6:107 (1978)) that assessments of nuclear power costs have been based on incorrect methods and assumptions are here answered. The particular points in the original analysis considered are; inflation, forecasts, load factors, generating costs, R and D costs, and benefits from a nuclear programme. It is stated that the published literature shows that nuclear power costs have for a long time been critically compared with the cost of alternatives, using well tried systems-analysis techniques and that the charge that 'mistaken' techniques have been employed is simply not sustained by the evidence. In reply Sweet objects that although his estimates have been criticised yet neither a direct rebuttal nor any alternative figures have been offered and significantly, his estimate that the official figures understate the true costs of nuclear power was not challenged. Particular aspects of the argument considered are; escalation of nuclear building costs, coal and nuclear generating costs, recovering R and D costs, and the 100 GW programme. (U.K.)

Evidence and Education Policy--Some Reflections and Allegations

Science.gov (United States)

Goldstein, Harvey

2008-01-01

The paper reflects on the use by the UK central government of statistical evidence in educational policy matters. Particular attention is given to school league tables. The paper is generally critical of government attitudes, but suggests that progress towards rational decision-making does occur. (Contains 5 notes.)

Addressing issues in foundational ontology mediation

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Khan, ZC

2013-09-01

Full Text Available An approach in achieving semantic interoperability among heterogeneous systems is to offer infrastructure to assist with linking and integration using a foundational ontology. Due to the creation of multiple foundational ontologies, this also means...

Education, Occupation and Career Expectations: Determinants of the Gender Pay Gap for UK Graduates. CEE DP 69

Science.gov (United States)

Chevalier, Arnaud

2006-01-01

A large proportion of the gender wage gap is usually left unexplained. In this paper, we investigate whether the unexplained component is due to misspecification. Using a sample of recent UK graduates, we introduce variables on career expectations and character traits, variables that are typically not observed. The evidence indicates that women…

Indian Diaspora In The UK

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. V. Kulik

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The author traces the history of formation of the Indian diaspora in the UK, evaluates the key trends that characterize the current state of diaspora. The article highlights the level of involvement and participation of diaspora in the evolution of the bilateral relations, as well as the influence of diaspora over home and foreign policy in the UK and India. The diaspora today is not just a unique vibrant connection between the two countries, it has also become a factor of influence over domestic, social and economic affairs in both the UK and India. There is a growing number of Indians among British statesmen and politicians. Indians occupy significant posts in various sectors in Britain, including business and finance. This contributes to strengthening of economic ties between the two countries, particularly important considering Britain’s forthcoming exit from the EU. As to internal political matters, though potential issues exist (those include, for instance, the possible transfer from India into Britain of problematic inter-caste relations, India’s criticism over unbalanced approach to teaching colonial history in British schools, the Indian diaspora due to its’ inherent tolerance and moderation generally plays a stabilizing role in the UK, especially on the background of radicalization of other ethnic communities. For the new India the diaspora today is not just an important source of financing, competences and know-how, it is also a significant lobbying and soft-power instrument. This article is part of a broader research, related to the contemporary relations between the United Kingdom and India. Indian diaspora in the UK is an integral part of the unique centuries-long history that connects the two countries. It is poised to remain a strong factor contributing to interdependence and cooperation between Britain and India in the XXI century.

National Psoriasis Foundation

Science.gov (United States)

... 723-9166 | Submit a Question | Learn More National Psoriasis Foundation provides you with the help you need to best manage your psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis, while promoting research to find ...

Spatially Explicit Analysis of Water Footprints in the UK

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Barrett

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The Water Footprint, as an indicator of water consumption has become increasingly popular for analyzing environmental issues associated with the use of water resources in the global supply chain of consumer goods. This is particularly relevant for countries like the UK, which increasingly rely on products produced elsewhere in the world and thus impose pressures on foreign water resources. Existing studies calculating water footprints are mostly based on process analysis, and results are mainly available at the national level. The current paper assesses the domestic and foreign water requirements for UK final consumption by applying an environmentally extended multi-regional input-output model in combination with geo-demographic consumer segmentation data. This approach allows us to calculate water footprints (both direct and indirect for different products as well as different geographies within the UK. We distinguished between production and consumption footprints where the former is the total water consumed from the UK domestic water resources by the production activities in the UK and the latter is the total water consumed from both domestic and global water resources to satisfy the UK domestic final consumption. The results show that the production water footprint is 439 m3/cap/year, 85% of which is for the final consumption in the UK itself. The average consumption water footprint of the UK is more than three times bigger than the UK production water footprint in 2006. About half of the UK consumption water footprints were associated with imports from Non-OECD countries (many of which are water-scarce, while around 19% were from EU-OECD countries, and only 3% from Non-EU-OECD countries. We find that the water footprint differs considerably across sub-national geographies in the UK, and the differences are as big as 273 m3/cap/year for the internal water footprint and 802 m3/cap/year for the external water footprint. Our results suggest

Characterisation: Challenges and Opportunities - A UK Perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Emptage, Matthew; Loudon, David; Mcleod, Richard; Milburn, Helen

2016-01-01

Characterisation plays a very important role in the nuclear industry supporting: the development and implementation of decommissioning strategies/plans (and the optimisation of associated costs through reduction in technical risks); regulatory compliance demonstration; waste prevention/minimisation; evaluation and optimisation of worker radiation doses; and maintaining public confidence. Recognising these important drivers, the UK regulators are working with the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) to undertake a review of characterisation practice in the UK nuclear (decommissioning) industry. The objective of the characterisation review is to understand the current characterisation challenges and to determine strategic and tactical opportunities (including sharing of standards and guidance, capabilities, learning from experience, good practice, research and development, training, quality assurance) to optimise characterisation practice. The work is being undertaken through review of nuclear operator's characterisation practice, with input from the NDA, the UK regulators, nuclear operators and representatives from the supply chain, and through consideration of good practice case studies. To support this, a catalogue of relevant national/international guidance documents is also be compiled. Finally a workshop with representatives from all parties has taken place to consider the findings and establish a common understanding of challenges and opportunities and to start to consider how they can be addressed. The review is establishing a collective (UK regulator's, NDA; nuclear operator's and supply chain) understanding of opportunities to improve characterisation practice in the UK. The characterisation review process is described and early results are presented and discussed. Subsequent work in 2016 will be required to prioritise the opportunities and to build a consensus to facilitate development and implementation of an improvement plan. The aim

How do brochures encourage walking in natural environments in the UK? A content analysis.

OpenAIRE

Elliott, LR; White, MP; Taylor, AH; Abraham, C

2016-01-01

Although walking for leisure can support health, there has been little systematic attempt to consider how recreational walking is best promoted. In the UK, local authorities create promotional materials for walking networks, but little is known about whether they effectively encourage walking through persuasive messaging. Many of these materials pertain to walks in natural environments which evidence suggests are generally visited less frequently by physically inactive individuals. Consequent...

The regulatory framework in the UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Sullivan, R.

1984-01-01

The subject is covered in sections, headed: basic regulatory requirements covering the transport of radioactive material in the UK; responsibility for safety (competent authority; provision of regulations; implementation of regulations (international and national); design of transport flask; safety case; testing; assessment; approval certificate; compliance assurance; administration); advice and information on the regulatory safety standards. (U.K.)

Determinants of primary market spreads on U.K. RMBS and it’s implications for investor reliance on credit ratings

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fabozzi, F.; Vink, D.

2012-01-01

We provide empirical evidence about the credit factors that affect the pricing of newly issued residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) in the U.K. Our findings add an important element to the current debate by regulators throughout the world regarding whether investors rely exclusively on

Diabetes care provision in UK primary care practices.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gillian Hawthorne

Full Text Available Although most people with Type 2 diabetes receive their diabetes care in primary care, only a limited amount is known about the quality of diabetes care in this setting. We investigated the provision and receipt of diabetes care delivered in UK primary care.Postal surveys with all healthcare professionals and a random sample of 100 patients with Type 2 diabetes from 99 UK primary care practices.326/361 (90.3% doctors, 163/186 (87.6% nurses and 3591 patients (41.8% returned a questionnaire. Clinicians reported giving advice about lifestyle behaviours (e.g. 88% would routinely advise about calorie restriction; 99.6% about increasing exercise more often than patients reported having received it (43% and 42% and correlations between clinician and patient report were low. Patients' reported levels of confidence about managing their diabetes were moderately high; a median (range of 21% (3% to 39% of patients reporting being not confident about various areas of diabetes self-management.Primary care practices have organisational structures in place and are, as judged by routine quality indicators, delivering high quality care. There remain evidence-practice gaps in the care provided and in the self confidence that patients have for key aspects of self management and further research is needed to address these issues. Future research should use robust designs and appropriately designed studies to investigate how best to improve this situation.

Prototype bucket foundation for wind turbines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ibsen, Lars Bo; Liingaard, Morten

The first full scale prototype bucket foundation for wind turbines has been installed in October 2002 at Aalborg University offshore test facility in Frederikshavn, Denmark. The suction caisson and the wind turbine have been equipped with an online monitoring system, consisting of 15 accelerometers...... and a real-time data-acquisition system. The report concerns the in service performance of the wind turbine, with focus on estimation of the natural frequencies of the structure/foundation. The natural frequencies are initially estimated by means of experimental Output-only Modal analysis. The experimental...... estimates are then compared with numerical simulations of the suction caisson foundation and the wind turbine. The numerical model consists of a finite element section for the wind turbine tower and nacelle. The soil-structure interaction of the soil-foundation section is modelled by lumped-parameter models...

Gas prices in the UK: markets and insecurity supply

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wright, P.

2006-01-01

In this article, Professor P. Wright argues that the high and volatile gas price experienced by UK consumers over the last 3 years are the result of the extend of liberalization in the UK - which has made UK prices much more sensitive to insecurities of supply. Businesses pay the cost of this, straightaway, while the strategies which gas companies have used to respond to heightened price risks means domestic consumers also bear the cost of higher supply-markups. The prospect of high levels of demand in bad winters then just adds to price risk and its associated costs. The implication of this analysis is that it is illogical for the UK's regulator and government to blame the UK's high prices on the slow progress of liberalization in the rest of Europe - greater liberalization in Europe might simply replicate the UK's price difficulties throughout Europe

Optimization Foundations and Applications

CERN Document Server

Miller, H Ronald

2011-01-01

A thorough and highly accessible resource for analysts in a broad range of social sciences. Optimization: Foundations and Applications presents a series of approaches to the challenges faced by analysts who must find the best way to accomplish particular objectives, usually with the added complication of constraints on the available choices. Award-winning educator Ronald E. Miller provides detailed coverage of both classical, calculus-based approaches and newer, computer-based iterative methods. Dr. Miller lays a solid foundation for both linear and nonlinear models and quickly moves on to dis

Industrial Foundations in the Tax System

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Søren Bo

This paper attempts to place industrial foundations (IFs in the following; similar to trusts) in the tax system. An industrial foundation is a private foundation that holds a voting majority in a joint stock corporation. These IFs are probably more prevalent in Denmark than in any other country......? The paper explores the implications of treating IFs as high‐income earners (wealthy individuals) and draws the conclusion that in the current system, IFs are very leniently taxed relative to that benchmark. Lenient tax treatment relative to the norm is regularly interpreted as tax expenditures; the usual...

Development opportunities for the UK offshore wind industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

This report summarises the results of a study investigating the UK's ability to compete for the construction of offshore wind farms. The European offshore wind farm market is examined, and the UK offshore construction equipment and wind farm construction methods are analysed, and recommendations for a purpose build or modified construction vessel are presented. The appendix gives UK construction companies addresses and contact names

National Headache Foundation

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... Headache Topic Sheets (Spanish) Headache FAQ NHF Webinars Education Modules MigrainePro™ Children’s Headache Disorders New Perspectives on Caffeine and Headache War Veterans Health Resource Initiative National Headache Foundation Brochures ...

Multi-asset class mutual funds: Can they time the market? Evidence from the US, UK and Canada

OpenAIRE

Clare, A.; O'Sullivan, N.; Sherman, M.; Thomas, S.

2016-01-01

The importance of asset allocation decisions in wealth management is well established. However, given its importance it is perhaps surprising that so little attention has been paid to the question of whether professional fund managers are skilful at timing market movement across asset classes over time. The timing literature has tended to concentrate on the timing skill of single asset class funds. Using data on US, UK and Canadian multi-asset class funds, we apply two alternative methodologi...

Financial market implications of monetary policy coincidences: Evidence from the UK and Euro Area government-bond markets

OpenAIRE

Arestis, Philip; Phelps, P

2017-01-01

Relatively little is known about the financial market impact of international monetary surprises arising on the same trading day. This paper estimates a suite of multi-security factor models, which captures international monetary surprise effects on UK and Euro Area government-bond markets over the period 1999–2014. In doing so, we shed light on the relative importance of coinciding, non-coinciding monetary surprises and non-monetary surprises across the yield curve. We find some support for ...

Development of Foundational Movement Skills: A Conceptual Model for Physical Activity Across the Lifespan.

Science.gov (United States)

Hulteen, Ryan M; Morgan, Philip J; Barnett, Lisa M; Stodden, David F; Lubans, David R

2018-03-09

Evidence supports a positive association between competence in fundamental movement skills (e.g., kicking, jumping) and physical activity in young people. Whilst important, fundamental movement skills do not reflect the broad diversity of skills utilized in physical activity pursuits across the lifespan. Debate surrounds the question of what are the most salient skills to be learned which facilitate physical activity participation across the lifespan. In this paper, it is proposed that the term 'fundamental movement skills' be replaced with 'foundational movement skills'. The term 'foundational movement skills' better reflects the broad range of movement forms that increase in complexity and specificity and can be applied in a variety of settings. Thus, 'foundational movement skills' includes both traditionally conceptualized 'fundamental' movement skills and other skills (e.g., bodyweight squat, cycling, swimming strokes) that support physical activity engagement across the lifespan. A proposed conceptual model outlines how foundational movement skill competency can provide a direct or indirect pathway, via specialized movement skills, to a lifetime of physical activity. Foundational movement skill development is hypothesized to vary according to culture and/or geographical location. Further, skill development may be hindered or enhanced by physical (i.e., fitness, weight status) and psychological (i.e., perceived competence, self-efficacy) attributes. This conceptual model may advance the application of motor development principles within the public health domain. Additionally, it promotes the continued development of human movement in the context of how it leads to skillful performance and how movement skill development supports and maintains a lifetime of physical activity engagement.

A survey of UK optometry trainees' smoking cessation training.

Science.gov (United States)

Lorencatto, Fabiana; Harper, Alice M; Francis, Jill J; Lawrenson, John G

2016-07-01

Smoking is a risk factor for a number of eye conditions, including age-related macular degeneration, cataracts and thyroid eye disease. Smoking cessation interventions have been shown to be highly cost-effective when delivered by a range of healthcare professionals. Optometrists are well placed to deliver smoking cessation advice to a wide population of otherwise healthy smokers. Yet optometrists remain a relatively neglected healthcare professional group in smoking cessation research and policy. Surveys of UK medical/nursing schools and of optometrists' training internationally demonstrate significant deficits in current curricular coverage regarding smoking cessation. This study aimed to identify the extent of smoking cessation training in UK optometry trainees' undergraduate and pre-registration training. All undergraduate optometry schools in the UK (n = 9) were invited to participate in a web-based survey of their curricular coverage and assessment related to smoking cessation, and of perceived barriers to delivering smoking cessation training. A content analysis of the College of Optometrists Scheme for Registration Trainee Handbook 2014 was conducted to identify competence indicators related to smoking cessation. Nine undergraduate optometry schools (100%) responded to the survey. The majority reported dedicating limited hours (0-3) to teaching smoking cessation, and predominantly focused on teaching the harmful effects of smoking (89%). Only one school provides practical skills training for delivering evidence-based smoking cessation interventions, including very brief advice. The majority of schools (78%) reported that they did not formally examine students on their knowledge or skills for supporting smoking cessation, and rated confidence in their graduates' abilities to deliver smoking cessation interventions as 'poor' (78%). Lack of knowledge amongst staff was identified as the key barrier to teaching about smoking cessation support. The pre

Indicative energy technology assessment of UK shale gas extraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammond, Geoffrey P.; O’Grady, Áine

2017-01-01

Highlights: • UK shale gas ‘fracking’ is at a very early stage with an uncertain size of resource. • Shale gas extraction might benefit UK fuel security, as well as jobs and growth. • Potentially harmful environmental ‘side-effects’ must be monitored and regulated. • Gas bills for UK household and industrial consumers are unlikely to fall sharply. • Costs & benefits of shale gas fracking are unevenly distributed between communities. - Abstract: There is at present much interest in unconventional sources of natural gas, especially in shale gas which is obtained by hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking’. Boreholes are drilled and then lined with steel tubes so that a mixture of water and sand with small quantities of chemicals – the fracking fluid – can be pumped into them at very high pressure. The sand grains that wedge into the cracks induced in the shale rock by a ‘perforating gun’ then releases gas which returns up the tubes. In the United Kingdom (UK) exploratory drilling is at an early stage, with licences being issued to drill a limited number of test boreholes around the country. However, such activities are already meeting community resistance and controversy. Like all energy technologies it exhibits unwanted ‘side-effects’; these simply differ in their level of severity between the various options. Shale gas may make, for example, a contribution to attaining the UK’s statutory ‘greenhouse gas’ emissions targets, but only if appropriate and robust regulations are enforced. The benefits and disadvantages of shale gas fracking are therefore discussed in order to illustrate a ‘balance sheet’ approach. It is also argued that it is desirable to bring together experts from a range of disciplines in order to carry out energy technology assessments. That should draw on and interact with national and local stakeholders: ‘actors’ both large and small. Community engagement in a genuinely participative process – where the

Concept Study of Foundation Systems for Wave Energy Converters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Molina, Salvador Devant; Vaitkunaite, Evelina; Ibsen, Lars Bo

Analysis of possible foundation solution for Wave Energy Converters (WEC) is presented by investigating and optimizing novel foundation systems recently developed for offshore wind turbines. Gravity based, pile and bucket foundations are innovative foundation systems that are analyzed. Concept...

The UK and British Gas: Any future for Norwegian gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jungles, P.

1996-01-01

The paper deals with the UK natural gas market and the future for Norwegian gas in the UK. The role of the British Gas in the domestic and European markets is discussed. Topics are: The UK gas supply market; the UK upstream gas market and the Interconnector; the European market, competition and deregulation; the prospects for Norwegian gas

Experimental Research of Engine Foundations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Violeta-Elena Chiţan

2004-01-01

Full Text Available This paper tries a compact presentation of experimental research of engine-foundations. The dynamic phenomena are so complex, that the vibrations cannot be estimated in the design stage. The design engineer of an engine foundation must foresee through a dynamic analysis of the vibrations, those measures that lead to the avoidance or limiting of the bad effects caused by the vibrations.

Radon reduction in wood foundation system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clark, R.J.

1990-01-01

Radon, an issue of growing concern to the building industry. Silently, invisibly, it invades existing structures as it will future foundation structures. This paper addresses the nature and causes of radon, and cost-effective prevention and retrofit techniques used for wood foundation systems. Radon also can enter homes with foundations that use the under-floor as an air distribution system. These building practices will be shown; even materials used in construction may release radon, for example, this may be a problem in a house that has a solar heating system in which its heat is stored in large beds of stone. Stone is most often used in wood foundation construction. The common radon entry points will be looked at, and the latest prevention techniques will be illustrated, such as natural and forced ventilation, sealing major radon sources and entry routes, and sub-slab and sump crock ventilations

Cancer Research UK | IDRC - International Development Research ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Cancer Research UK. Cancer Research UK. https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/. The Economics of Tobacco Control Research Initiative. The Economics of Tobacco Control Research Initiative funds innovative fiscal policy research supporting tobacco control in low and middle-income countries. View more. The Economics ...

Characteristic Behavior of Bucket Foundations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barari, Amin

political and industrial forces(particularly in northern Europe) supporting the development of the offshore wind industry. The overall aim of the research presented in this thesis was to improve the design of offshore wind turbine foundations. The work was divided into two main researchefforts: geotechnical...... reduce the risks and costsrelated to offshore geotechnics. The thesis examines: 1.Characteristic Behavior of Bucket Foundations 2. Modeling of Water Flow through Porous Media The outcomes of each of the research contributions are summarized in four research articles, either directly or indirectly...... engineering experiments to gain insight into the behavior of offshore bucket foundations, and development of methods to improve the study of infiltration intounsaturated soils, an important problem in geo-environmental engineering. The outcomes of the research have the potential to directly or indirectly...

Session 1984-85. Radioactive waste. Minutes of evidence, Monday 20 May 1985. Greenpeace

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-01-01

The Environment Select Committee of the House of Commons received a memorandum from Greenpeace on radioactive waste, including the following aspects: UK nuclear power programme; Government policies; origins and inventories of waste; fuel reprocessing plants; waste storage, processing and disposal; classification of active wastes; transport; functions of some organisations concerned with radioactive wastes in UK; relevant international law; ICRP safety standards; London Dumping Convention; dispersal of radioactive wastes from Windscale - radiological impacts; discussion of particular proposals for disposal sites; sea dumping; deep sub-seabed disposal. Representatives of Greenpeace were examined on the subject of the memorandum and the Minutes of Evidence are recorded. (U.K.)

A review of the UK fast reactor programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Picker, C.; Ainsworth, K.F.

1998-01-01

The general position with regard to nuclear power and fast reactors in the UK during 1996 is described. The main UK Government-funded fast reactor research and development programme was concluded in 1993, to be replaced by a smaller programme which is mainly funded and managed by British Nuclear Fuels plc. The main focus of this programme sustains the UK participation in the European Fast Reactor (EFR) collaboration and the broader international links built-up over the previous decades. The status of fast reactor studies made in the UK in 1996 is outlined and, with respect to the Prototype Fast Reactor at Dounreay, a report of progress with the closure studies, fuel reprocessing and decommissioning activities is provided. (author)

Hepatitis B Foundation

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... worldwide 2 Billion People have been infected with Hepatitis B Worldwide The Hepatitis B Foundation is working ... of people living with hepatitis B. Learn About Hepatitis B in 11 Other Languages . Resource Video See ...

International OCD Foundation

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... and productive lives. Join Donate Volunteer Events International OCD Foundation Research. Resources. Respect. About OCD About IOCDF ... Donate Here Why Should You Attend the Annual OCD Conference? Watch the Video Find Help Search the ...

Moebius Syndrome Foundation

Science.gov (United States)

... craniofacial/neurological disorder. Individuals with Moebius syndrome cannot smile or frown, and do not have lateral eye ... the organization to ensure that they are in line with the mission of the Moebius Syndrome Foundation. ...

Pile foundation response in liquefiable soil deposit during strong earthquakes. ; Centrifugal test for pile foundation model and correlation analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miyamoto, Y.; Miura, K. (Kajima Corp., Tokyo (Japan)); Scott, R.; Hushmand, B. (California Inst. of Technology, California, CA (United States))

1992-09-30

For the purpose of studying the pile foundation response in liquefiable soil deposit during earthquakes, a centrifugal loading system is employed which can reproduce the stress conditions of the soil in the actual ground, and earthquake wave vibration tests are performed in dry and saturated sand layers using a pile foundation model equipped with 4 piles. In addition, the result of the tests is analyzed by simulation using an analytic method for which effective stress is taken into consideration to investigate the effectiveness of this analytical model. It is clarified from the result of the experiments that the bending moment of the pile and the response characteristics of the foundation in the pile foundation response in saturated sand are greatly affected by the longer period of acceleration wave form of the ground and the increase in the ground displacement due to excess pore water pressure buildup. It is shown that the analytical model of the pile foundation/ground system is appropriate, and that this analytical method is effective in evaluating the seismic response of the pile foundation in nonlinear liquefiable soil. 23 refs., 21 figs., 3 tabs.

Modelling lead bioaccessibility in urban topsoils based on data from Glasgow, London, Northampton and Swansea, UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Appleton, J.D.; Cave, M.R.; Wragg, J.

2012-01-01

Predictive linear regression (LR) modelling between bioaccessible Pb and a range of total elemental compositions and soil properties was executed for the Glasgow, London, Northampton and Swansea urban areas in order to assess the potential for developing a national urban bioaccessible Pb dataset for the UK. LR indicates that total Pb is the only highly significant independent variable for estimating the bioaccessibility of Pb. Bootstrap resampling shows that the relationship between total Pb and bioaccessible Pb is broadly the same in the four urban areas. The median bioaccessible fraction ranges from 38% in Northampton to 68% in London and Swansea. Results of this study can be used as part of a lines of evidence approach to localised risk assessment but should not be used to replace bioaccessibility testing at individual sites where local conditions may vary considerably from the broad overview presented in this study. - Highlights: ► Total Pb is the only significant predictor for bioaccessible Pb in UK urban topsoils. ► Bootstrap resampling confirms relationship similar in four urban areas. ► Median bioaccessible fraction ranges from 38 to 68%. ► Results can be used for initial risk assessment in UK urban areas. - Total Pb is the only significant predictor for bioaccessible Pb in topsoils from four urban areas in the UK.

IPO underpricing and audit quality: Evidence from the alternative investment market in the UK

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Muflih Alhadab

2016-08-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to investigate the relationship between audit quality and IPO underpricing for IPO firms that went public on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM of the London Stock Exchange in the UK. Prior research has examined this relationship; however, there has been no work investigates this relation for IPO firms that went public on the AIM market. Based on a sample of 413 IPOs, the findings of the current study reassure prior literature that high quality auditors are associated with a lower level of IPO underpricing. The findings show that high quality audit firms help to reduce the level of information asymmetry around the IPO and, therefore, this leads to reduce the level of IPO underpricing. Further, size, liquidity ratio, and high litigation industries are found to contribute the IPO underpricing on the AIM market.

Assessment at UK medical schools varies substantially in volume, type and intensity and correlates with postgraduate attainment.

Science.gov (United States)

Devine, Oliver Patrick; Harborne, Andrew Christopher; McManus, I C

2015-09-11

(mean = 1.28, SD = 0.30, LQ = 1.11, UQ = 1.37, range = 0.85-2.08). An exploratory analysis suggested a significant correlation of total assessment time with mean first-attempt score on both the knowledge and the clinical assessments of MRCGP and of MRCP(UK). There are substantial differences in the volume, format and intensity of undergraduate assessment between UK medical schools. These findings suggest a potential for differences in the reliability of detecting poorly performing students, or differences in identifying and stratifying academically equivalent students for ranking in the Foundation Programme Application System (FPAS). Furthermore, these differences appear to directly correlate with performance in postgraduate examinations. Taken together, our findings highlight highly variable local assessment procedures that warrant further investigation to establish their potential impact on students.

Success stories showing the diversity of kidney foundations: Turkish Kidney Foundation.

Science.gov (United States)

Erk, Timur

Founded in 1985, the Turkish Kidney Foundation serves the society with 3 dialysis centers and a 113-bed general hospital. Interacting with public authorities and advocating end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients' rights are essential services of this non-governmental organization (NGO). Over the last 30 years, keeping with the trend of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the country, the foundation raised awareness in the population for this condition and prepared an activity road map by using statistical facts and data. Goals were set keeping in mind the local culture and traditions, debating on them with colleagues, PR agencies, and other experts in this field. The best strategy embrace the society, and all activities are made as cost-effective as possible in keeping with a tight budget. Various communication channels, especially social media, are used to communicate the message to the public, always keeping in mind that such messages are to be succinct and precise. Every effort is taken to make our foundation reliable and trustworthy in the eyes of the public at large. Reliability, credibility, and trust are the key success corner stones of our NGO. Every opportunity is taken to capitalize on participation of celebrities and real stories of people. Testimonies of real ESRD patients are always interesting and can touch the hearts of the rest of the population.

Widespread acquisition of antimicrobial resistance among Campylobacter isolates from UK retail poultry and evidence for clonal expansion of resistant lineages.

Science.gov (United States)

Wimalarathna, Helen M L; Richardson, Judith F; Lawson, Andy J; Elson, Richard; Meldrum, Richard; Little, Christine L; Maiden, Martin C J; McCarthy, Noel D; Sheppard, Samuel K

2013-07-15

Antimicrobial resistance is increasing among clinical Campylobacter cases and is common among isolates from other sources, specifically retail poultry - a major source of human infection. In this study the antimicrobial susceptibility of isolates from a UK-wide survey of Campylobacter in retail poultry in 2001 and 2004-5 was investigated. The occurrence of phenotypes resistant to tetracycline, quinolones (ciprofloxacin and naladixic acid), erythromycin, chloramphenicol and aminoglycosides was quantified. This was compared with a phylogeny for these isolates based upon Multi Locus Sequence Typing (MLST) to investigate the pattern of antimicrobial resistance acquisition. Antimicrobial resistance was present in all lineage clusters, but statistical testing showed a non-random distribution. Erythromycin resistance was associated with Campylobacter coli. For all antimicrobials tested, resistant isolates were distributed among relatively distant lineages indicative of widespread acquisition. There was also evidence of clustering of resistance phenotypes within lineages; indicative of local expansion of resistant strains. These results are consistent with the widespread acquisition of antimicrobial resistance among chicken associated Campylobacter isolates, either through mutation or horizontal gene transfer, and the expansion of these lineages as a proportion of the population. As Campylobacter are not known to multiply outside of the host and long-term carriage in humans is extremely infrequent in industrialized countries, the most likely location for the proliferation of resistant lineages is in farmed chickens.

Influence on UK Nuclear Regulation from the Fukushima Daiichi Accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savage, R.

2016-01-01

This paper provides an overview of the UKs response to the Fukushima Daiichi Accident and highlights the influence that this has had on UK nuclear regulation since March 2011. ONR’s Incident Suite was staffed from the first day of the accident and remained active on a 24 hours basis for over two weeks. The purpose was to provide advice to the UK government specifically prompt assurance of why this accident couldn’t take place in the UK and practical advice in relation to the 17,000 UK nationals in Japan at that time. In the early phase of the accident ONR took part in international cooperation with the US, Canadian and French regulators in order to determine the actual technical status of the Fukushima Daiichi power plant units. The UK Secretary of State requested that the ONR Chief Inspector identify any lessons to be learnt by the UK nuclear industry and in doing so cooperate and coordinate with international colleagues. The Interim report was produced (May 2011) this focused on civil NPP’s, provided background to radiation, technology and regulations. This report compared the Japan situation with the UK and identified 11 conclusions and 26 recommendations.

UK114, a YjgF/Yer057p/UK114 family protein highly conserved from bacteria to mammals, is localized in rat liver peroxisomes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Antonenkov, Vasily D.; Ohlmeier, Steffen; Sormunen, Raija T.; Hiltunen, J. Kalervo

2007-01-01

Mammalian UK114 belongs to a highly conserved family of proteins with unknown functions. Although it is believed that UK114 is a cytosolic or mitochondrial protein there is no detailed study of its intracellular localization. Using analytical subcellular fractionation, electron microscopic colloidal gold technique, and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of peroxisomal matrix proteins combined with mass spectrometric analysis we show here that a large portion of UK114 is present in rat liver peroxisomes. The peroxisomal UK114 is a soluble matrix protein and it is not inducible by the peroxisomal proliferator clofibrate. The data predict involvement of UK114 in peroxisomal metabolism

Review and analysis of global agricultural N₂O emissions relevant to the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Buckingham, S; Anthony, S; Bellamy, P H; Cardenas, L M; Higgins, S; McGeough, K; Topp, C F E

2014-07-15

As part of a UK government funded research project to update the UK N2O inventory methodology, a systematic review of published nitrous oxide (N2O) emission factors was carried out of non-UK research, for future comparison and synthesis with the UK measurement based evidence base. The aim of the study is to assess how the UK IPCC default emission factor for N2O emissions derived from synthetic or organic fertiliser inputs (EF1) compares to international values reported in published literature. The availability of data for comparing and/or refining the UK IPCC default value and the possibility of analysing sufficient auxiliary data to propose a Tier 2 EF1 reporting strategy is evaluated. The review demonstrated a lack of consistency in reporting error bounds for fertiliser-derived EFs and N2O flux data with 8% and 44% of publications reporting EF and N2O flux error bounds respectively. There was also poor description of environmental (climate and soil) and experimental design auxiliary data. This is likely to be due to differences in study objectives, however potential improvements to soil parameter reporting are proposed. The review demonstrates that emission factors for agricultural-derived N2O emissions ranged -0.34% to 37% showing high variation compared to the UK Tier 1 IPCC EF1 default values of 1.25% (IPCC 1996) and 1% (IPPC 2006). However, the majority (83%) of EFs reported for UK-relevant soils fell within the UK IPCC EF1 uncertainty range of 0.03% to 3%. Residual maximum likelihood (REML) analysis of the data collated in the review showed that the type and rate of fertiliser N applied and soil type were significant factors influencing EFs reported. Country of emission, the length of the measurement period, the number of splits, the crop type, pH and SOC did not have a significant impact on N2O emissions. A subset of publications where sufficient data was reported for meta-analysis to be conducted was identified. Meta-analysis of effect sizes of 41

UK national guidelines on the management of syphilis 2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Kingston, M; French, P; Higgins, S; McQuillan, O; Sukthankar, A; Stott, C; McBrien, B; Tipple, C; Turner, A; Sullivan, A K; Radcliffe, Keith; Cousins, Darren; FitzGerald, Mark; Fisher, Martin; Grover, Deepa; Higgins, Stephen; Kingston, Margaret; Rayment, Michael; Sullivan, Ann

2016-05-01

These guidelines are an update for 2015 of the 2008 UK guidelines for the management of syphilis. The writing group have piloted the new BASHH guideline methodology, notably using the GRADE system for assessing evidence and making recommendations. We have made significant changes to the recommendations for screening infants born to mothers with positive syphilis serology and to facilitate accurate and timely communication between the teams caring for mother and baby we have developed a birth plan. Procaine penicillin is now an alternative, not preferred treatment, for all stages of syphilis except neurosyphilis, but the length of treatment for this is shortened. Other changes are summarised at the start of the guideline. © The Author(s) 2016.

Introducing innovation in a management development programme for a UK primary care organisation.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Paul; Hampson, Libby; Scott, Jonathan; Bower, Karen

2011-01-01

The aim of this paper is to examine the introduction of innovation as part of a management development programme at a primary care organisation, a legal form known as a Primary Care Trust (PCT), in the UK. The paper draws on experience of managing a successful management development programme for a PCT. The report of the case study analyses the key events that took place between 2008 and 2010, from direct observation, surveys, discussion and documentary evidence. The Northern PCT has partnerships with a number of educational providers to deliver their leadership and management development programmes. A close working relationship had developed and the programme is bespoke - hence it is current and of practical use to the UK's National Health Service (NHS). In addition, there are regular meetings, with module leaders gaining a firsthand understanding of the organisation's needs and aspirations. This has resulted in a very focused and personalised offering and a genuine involvement in the programme and individuals concerned. The research was conducted among a relatively small sample, and there is a lack of previous literature evidence to make significant comparisons. The paper identifies key implications for practitioners and educators in this area. This paper is one of few to investigate innovation and improvement in the NHS, and is unique in that it uses the lenses of a management development programme to explore this important, and under-researched, topic.

Journal of Educational Foundations: Editorial Policies

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Focus and Scope. The Journal of Educational Foundations (JEF) publishes papers from all fields in education. The Editorial Board accepts original, scholarly ... The purpose of the Department of Educational Foundations, University of Jos, is to produce high-quality educators with the necessary academic, analytic, and ...

Molecular Diversity of Anthracnose Pathogen Populations Associated with UK Strawberry Production Suggests Multiple Introductions of Three Different Colletotrichum Species

Science.gov (United States)

Baroncelli, Riccardo; Zapparata, Antonio; Sarrocco, Sabrina; Sukno, Serenella A.; Lane, Charles R.; Thon, Michael R.; Vannacci, Giovanni; Holub, Eric; Sreenivasaprasad, Surapareddy

2015-01-01

Fragaria × ananassa (common name: strawberry) is a globally cultivated hybrid species belonging to Rosaceae family. Colletotrichum acutatum sensu lato (s.l.) is considered to be the second most economically important pathogen worldwide affecting strawberries. A collection of 148 Colletotrichum spp. isolates including 67 C. acutatum s.l. isolates associated with the phytosanitary history of UK strawberry production were used to characterize multi-locus genetic variation of this pathogen in the UK, relative to additional reference isolates that represent a worldwide sampling of the diversity of the fungus. The evidence indicates that three different species C. nymphaeae, C. godetiae and C. fioriniae are associated with strawberry production in the UK, which correspond to previously designated genetic groups A2, A4 and A3, respectively. Among these species, 12 distinct haplotypes were identified suggesting multiple introductions into the country. A subset of isolates was also used to compare aggressiveness in causing disease on strawberry plants and fruits. Isolates belonging to C. nymphaeae, C. godetiae and C. fioriniae representative of the UK anthracnose pathogen populations showed variation in their aggressiveness. Among the three species, C. nymphaeae and C. fioriniae appeared to be more aggressive compared to C. godetiae. This study highlights the genetic and pathogenic heterogeneity of the C. acutatum s.l. populations introduced into the UK linked to strawberry production. PMID:26086351

Molecular Diversity of Anthracnose Pathogen Populations Associated with UK Strawberry Production Suggests Multiple Introductions of Three Different Colletotrichum Species.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Riccardo Baroncelli

Full Text Available Fragaria × ananassa (common name: strawberry is a globally cultivated hybrid species belonging to Rosaceae family. Colletotrichum acutatum sensu lato (s.l. is considered to be the second most economically important pathogen worldwide affecting strawberries. A collection of 148 Colletotrichum spp. isolates including 67 C. acutatum s.l. isolates associated with the phytosanitary history of UK strawberry production were used to characterize multi-locus genetic variation of this pathogen in the UK, relative to additional reference isolates that represent a worldwide sampling of the diversity of the fungus. The evidence indicates that three different species C. nymphaeae, C. godetiae and C. fioriniae are associated with strawberry production in the UK, which correspond to previously designated genetic groups A2, A4 and A3, respectively. Among these species, 12 distinct haplotypes were identified suggesting multiple introductions into the country. A subset of isolates was also used to compare aggressiveness in causing disease on strawberry plants and fruits. Isolates belonging to C. nymphaeae, C. godetiae and C. fioriniae representative of the UK anthracnose pathogen populations showed variation in their aggressiveness. Among the three species, C. nymphaeae and C. fioriniae appeared to be more aggressive compared to C. godetiae. This study highlights the genetic and pathogenic heterogeneity of the C. acutatum s.l. populations introduced into the UK linked to strawberry production.

State-of-the-art techniques in operative dentistry: contemporary teaching of posterior composites in UK and Irish dental schools.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Lynch, C D

2010-08-14

Advances of composite systems and their application have revolutionised the management of posterior teeth affected by caries, facilitating a minimally invasive approach. Previous surveys have indicated that the teaching of posterior composites within dental schools was developing, albeit not keeping pace with clinical evidence and the development of increasingly predictable techniques and materials. Concurrently, surveys of dental practice indicate that dental amalgam still predominates as the \\'material of choice\\' for the restoration of posterior teeth within UK general dental practice. In light of such considerations, the aim of this study was to investigate current teaching of posterior composites in Irish and UK dental schools.

Demography and disorders of German Shepherd Dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Neill, Dan G; Coulson, Noel R; Church, David B; Brodbelt, Dave C

2017-01-01

The German Shepherd Dog (GSD) has been widely used for a variety of working roles. However, concerns for the health and welfare of the GSD have been widely aired and there is evidence that breed numbers are now in decline in the UK. Accurate demographic and disorder data could assist with breeding and clinical prioritisation. The VetCompass TM Programme collects clinical data on dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK. This study included all VetCompass TM dogs under veterinary care during 2013. Demographic, mortality and clinical diagnosis data on GSDs were extracted and reported. GSDs dropped from 3.5% of the annual birth cohort in 2005 to 2.2% in 2013. The median longevity of GSDs was 10.3 years (IQR 8.0-12.1, range 0.2-17.0). The most common causes of death were musculoskeletal disorder (16.3%) and inability to stand (14.9%). The most prevalent disorders recorded were otitis externa ( n  = 131, 7.89, 95% CI: 6.64-9.29), osteoarthritis (92, 5.54%, 95% CI: 4.49-6.75), diarrhoea (87, 5.24%, 95% CI: 4.22-6.42), overweight/obesity (86, 5.18%, 95% CI: 4.16-6.36) and aggression (79, 4.76%, 95% CI: 3.79-5.90). This study identified that GSDs have been reducing in numbers in the UK in recent years. The most frequent disorders in GSDs were otitis externa, osteoarthritis, diarrhoea, overweight/obesity and aggression, whilst the most common causes of death were musculoskeletal disorders and inability to stand. Aggression was more prevalent in males than in females. These results may assist veterinarians to offer evidence-based advice at a breed level and help to identify priorities for GSD health that can improve the breed's health and welfare.

Results of a prospective surgical audit of bilateral paediatric cochlear implantation in the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Broomfield, Stephen J; Murphy, John; Wild, Dominik C; Emmett, Stevan R; O'Donoghue, Gerard M

2014-09-01

Since being approved in 2009, bilateral simultaneous cochlear implantation (CI) has been the standard treatment for children in the UK who meet the criteria for CI. The aim was to report surgical outcomes of bilateral CI in the UK. Between January 2010 and December 2011, 14 UK CI centres collected data prospectively: demographics, aetiology, use of imaging, device type, surgery duration, use of intra-operative electrophysiology, length of stay, and post-operative complications. 1397 CI procedures in 961 CI recipients were included; 436 bilateral simultaneous, 394 bilateral sequential, and 131 unilateral. The majority (85%) were congenitally deaf. The commonest causes of acquired deafness were meningitis and cytomegalovirus infection. The median age for congenitally deaf bilateral simultaneous CI was 2.2 years, mean surgical duration 4.5 hours. 6.3% surgeries were day case procedures. Eight cases (2.0%) of planned bilateral CI had unilateral surgery. The overall major complication rate was 1.6% (0.9% excluding device failures), including explantation due to infection (0.2%), cerebrospinal fluid leak (0.2%), and meningitis (0.1%). There were no permanent facial nerve palsies and no deaths. Sixty-two (6.5%) immediate minor complications included 12 (1.3%) children with significant vestibular impairment. The complication rate was similar following bilateral CI compared to sequential and unilateral CI, and is comparable to other published series. This prospective multi-centre audit provides evidence that bilateral paediatric CI is a safe procedure in the UK, thus endorsing its role as a major therapeutic intervention in childhood deafness.

National survey of clinical communication assessment in medical education in the United Kingdom (UK).

Science.gov (United States)

Laidlaw, Anita; Salisbury, Helen; Doherty, Eva M; Wiskin, Connie

2014-01-13

All medical schools in the UK are required to be able to provide evidence of competence in clinical communication in their graduates. This is usually provided by summative assessment of clinical communication, but there is considerable variation in how this is carried out. This study aimed to gain insight into the current assessment of clinical communication in UK medical schools. The survey was sent via e-mail to communication leads who then were asked to consult with all staff within their medical school involved in the assessment of communication. Results were obtained from 27 out of 33 schools (response rate 82%) and a total of 34 courses. The average number of assessments per year was 2.4 (minimum 0, maximum 10). The Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) was the most commonly used method of assessment (53%). Other assessments included MCQ and workplace based assessments. Only nine courses used a single method of assessment. Issues raised included, logistics and costs of assessing mainly by OSCE, the robustness and reliability of such exams and integration with other clinical skills. It is encouraging that a variety of assessment methods are being used within UK medical schools and that these methods target different components of clinical communication skills acquisition.

The risks and benefits of social media in dental foundation training.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhola, S; Hellyer, P

2016-11-18

The use of social media has greatly expanded in the last decade, with widespread use of smartphones, the internet, and other multimedia to enhance learning. There is evidence to suggest that social media has a place in healthcare education, but there is limited research to suggest the effectiveness or use of it in dental foundation training. This paper discusses the risks and benefits of social media and suggests that a better understanding of social media and its role in the development and practice of newly qualified dental professionals could benefit both trainees and trainers.

Language and human nature: Kurt Goldstein's neurolinguistic foundation of a holistic philosophy.

Science.gov (United States)

Ludwig, David

2012-01-01

Holism in interwar Germany provides an excellent example for social and political influences on scientific developments. Deeply impressed by the ubiquitous invocation of a cultural crisis, biologists, physicians, and psychologists presented holistic accounts as an alternative to the "mechanistic worldview" of the nineteenth century. Although the ideological background of these accounts is often blatantly obvious, many holistic scientists did not content themselves with a general opposition to a mechanistic worldview but aimed at a rational foundation of their holistic projects. This article will discuss the work of Kurt Goldstein, who is known for both his groundbreaking contributions to neuropsychology and his holistic philosophy of human nature. By focusing on Goldstein's neurolinguistic research, I want to reconstruct the empirical foundations of his holistic program without ignoring its cultural background. In this sense, Goldstein's work provides a case study for the formation of a scientific theory through the complex interplay between specific empirical evidences and the general cultural developments of the Weimar Republic. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Stochastic response of rigid foundations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pais, A.L.; Kausel, E.

1986-01-01

While the study of Kinematic Interaction effects calls, in general, for advanced analytical and numerical techniques, an excellent approximation was proposed recently by Iguchi. This approximation was used by the authors to analyze embedded foundations subjected to spatially random SH-wave fields, i.e., motions that exhibit some degree of incoherence. The wave fields considered ranged from perfectly coherent motions (resulting from seismic waves arriving from a single direction) to chaotic motions resulting from waves arriving simultaneously from all directions. Additional parameters considered were the shape of the foundation (cylindrical, rectangular) and the degree of embedment. It was found that kinematic interaction usually reduces the severity of the motions transmitted to the structure, and that incoherent motions do not exhibit the frequency selectivity (i.e., narrow valleys in the foundation response spectra) that coherent motions do

Nuclear and renewable energies, master cards of UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2007-01-01

UK's greenhouse gas emissions have increased in 2004 and 2005 and the country is no longer self-sufficient with respect to energy supplies. In front of global warming and energy security threats, UK is reconsidering its energy policy. Based on low carbon solutions, the UK energy economy tries to valorize renewable energies: recovery of methane, combined combustion of biomass and fossil fuels, development of offshore wind and wave power, etc. One reason is also for UK to locally recover part of its lost autonomy thanks to energy decentralization. Since 2006, public hearings have been launched to consider a renewal of the present nuclear park, a development of offshore gas storage and LNG terminal facilities and a promotion of cogeneration systems. (J.S.)

Women's Heart Foundation

Science.gov (United States)

... News Email: Click for e-News archive The Women's Heart Foundation is a 501c3 dedicated to prevention, ... Care Initiative® to achieve excellence of care of women. Executive nurses, civic leaders, women survivors and sponsors ...

Is the UK triple-A?

OpenAIRE

Polito, Vito; Wickens, Michael R.

2013-01-01

The immediate background to this paper is the downgrade of the U.K.'s credit rating in February 2013, the market's view that this should have occurred earlier and the emphasis in fiscal policy on reducing debt rather than recovery from recession. We propose a measure of the U.K. sovereign credit rating based on an open economy macroeconomic model that is simple to compute and easily automated. Whether based on an ad hoc debt-GDP limit or a DSGE model of an open economy, our measure downgrades...

"We Are Family": Maori Success in Foundation Programmes

Science.gov (United States)

McMurchy-Pilkington, Colleen

2013-01-01

This paper considers the question: What constitutes an optimal learning environment for Maori learners in foundation programmes? Using Kaupapa Maori methodology, nearly 100 adult Maori (Indigenous) students in Aotearoa/New Zealand were interviewed from a range of tertiary providers of foundation programmes. State-funded foundation programmes that…

Wireless Concrete Strength Monitoring of Wind Turbine Foundations.

Science.gov (United States)

Perry, Marcus; Fusiek, Grzegorz; Niewczas, Pawel; Rubert, Tim; McAlorum, Jack

2017-12-16

Wind turbine foundations are typically cast in place, leaving the concrete to mature under environmental conditions that vary in time and space. As a result, there is uncertainty around the concrete's initial performance, and this can encourage both costly over-design and inaccurate prognoses of structural health. Here, we demonstrate the field application of a dense, wireless thermocouple network to monitor the strength development of an onshore, reinforced-concrete wind turbine foundation. Up-to-date methods in fly ash concrete strength and maturity modelling are used to estimate the distribution and evolution of foundation strength over 29 days of curing. Strength estimates are verified by core samples, extracted from the foundation base. In addition, an artificial neural network, trained using temperature data, is exploited to demonstrate that distributed concrete strengths can be estimated for foundations using only sparse thermocouple data. Our techniques provide a practical alternative to computational models, and could assist site operators in making more informed decisions about foundation design, construction, operation and maintenance.

Foundations of genetic algorithms 1991

CERN Document Server

1991-01-01

Foundations of Genetic Algorithms 1991 (FOGA 1) discusses the theoretical foundations of genetic algorithms (GA) and classifier systems.This book compiles research papers on selection and convergence, coding and representation, problem hardness, deception, classifier system design, variation and recombination, parallelization, and population divergence. Other topics include the non-uniform Walsh-schema transform; spurious correlations and premature convergence in genetic algorithms; and variable default hierarchy separation in a classifier system. The grammar-based genetic algorithm; condition

A theoretical and practical test of geographical profiling with serial vehicle theft in a U.K. context.

Science.gov (United States)

Tonkin, Matthew; Woodhams, Jessica; Bond, John W; Loe, Trudy

2010-01-01

Geographical profiling is an investigative methodology sometimes employed by the police to predict the residence of an unknown offender from the locations of his/her crimes. The validity of geographical profiling, however, has not been fully explored for certain crime types. This study, therefore, presents a preliminary test of the potential for geographical profiling with a sample of 145 serial vehicle thieves from the U.K. The behavioural assumptions underlying geographical profiling (distance decay and domocentricity) are tested and a simple practical test of profiling using the spatial mean is presented. There is evidence for distance decay but not domocentricity among the spatial behaviour of car thieves from the U.K. A degree of success was achieved when applying the spatial mean on a case-by-case basis. The level of success varied, however, and neither series length in days nor number of crimes could account for the variation. The findings question previously held assumptions regarding geographical profiling and have potential theoretical and practical implications for the study and investigation of vehicle theft in the U.K. 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Evidence-based guidelines for mental, neurological, and substance use disorders in low- and middle-income countries: Summary of WHO recommendations

OpenAIRE

Dua, Tarun; Barbui, Corrado; Clark, Nicolas; Fleischmann, Alexandra; Poznyak, Vladimir; Van Ommeren, Mark H.; Yasamy, Mohammad Taghi; Ayuso Mateos, José Luis; Birbeck, Gretchen Lano; Drummond, Colin; Freeman, Melvyn; Giannakopoulos, Pantéléimon; Levav, Itzhak; Obot, Isidore S.; Omigbodun, Olayinka

2011-01-01

Funding for the mhGAP Programme, under which the work reported in this manuscript was done, was provided by the following: American Psychiatric Foundation, USA; Association of Aichi Psychiatric Hospitals, Japan; Autism Speaks, USA; CBM; Government of Italy; Government of Japan; Government of The Netherlands; International Bureau for Epilepsy; International League Against Epilepsy; Medical Research Council, UK; National Institute of Mental Health, USA; Public Health Agency of Canad...

Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation

Science.gov (United States)

... submissions. MORE We Imagine a World Without Pulmonary Fibrosis The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation mobilizes people and resources to provide ... its battle against the deadly lung disease, pulmonary fibrosis (PF). PULMONARY FIBROSIS WALK SURPASSES PARTICIPATION AND FUNDRAISING GOALS Nearly ...

On Foundation Improvement By Sand Replacement | Abam | Global ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper describes a simple foundation improvement method involving the replacement of poor foundation bearing soils with sand and the resultant improvement in bearing capacity and the minimization of settlement at the site of a large storage tank. Minimum thickness of sand replacement for various foundation loads ...

U.K., Norway producers push gas exports to mainland Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

This paper reports that producers in Norway and the U.K. are moving toward their goals of increasing natural gas exports to mainland Europe. Troll and Sleipner fields on the Norwegian continental shelf, along with the Zeepipe and Europipe lines linking Norway with mid-Europe, are the main building blocks of the Troll gas sales agreement, the foundation for Norway's plans. Total investment will exceed $11 billion. The Troll agreement involves about 28 billion cu m of gas and is currently the subject of negotiations between Troll field partners and the buyers. In 1986, when the contract was first agreed, it was a buyer's market. Increasing demand in the last 2 years has changed that. Also, new taxes on gas and oil products have driven both parties back to the negotiating table. Adjustments cane be called for every 3 years under the Troll contract; this is the first time parties have invoked the provision. Torstein Indrebo of Norsk Hydro says the contract gas price is based on prices of competing energy sources, such as oil, coal fired electricity, and nuclear power. Because volumes are so large, he says, small adjustments in the gas price have a large effect

UK nuclear medicine survey, 1989/90

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elliott, A.T.; Shields, R.A.

1993-01-01

A postal survey of UK nuclear medicine departments was carried out to obtain information on activity during the year 1989/90. A rise of 14% in the number of administrations of radiopharmaceuticals was found compared to 1982: a rise of 22% in imaging studies was offset by a 30% decrease in the number of nonimaging investigations. The estimated total number of administrations in the UK was 430 000. (author)

Research investments for UK infectious disease research 1997-2013: A systematic analysis of awards to UK institutions alongside national burden of disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Head, Michael G; Brown, Rebecca J; Clarke, Stuart C

2018-01-01

Infectious disease remains a significant burden in the UK and the focus of significant amounts of research investment each year. The Research Investments in Global Health study has systematically assessed levels of funding for infection research, and here considers investment alongside UK burden of individual infectious diseases. The study included awards to UK institutions between 1997 and 2013 that were related to infectious disease. Awards related to global health projects were excluded here. UK burden data (mortality, years lived with disability, and disability adjusted life years) was sourced from the Global Burden of Disease study (IHME, USA). Awards were categorised by pathogen, disease, disease area and by type of science along the research pipeline (pre-clinical, phase I-III trials, product development, public health, cross-disciplinary research). New metrics present relative levels of funding by comparing sum investment with measures of disease burden. There were 5685 relevant awards comprising investment of £2.4 billion. By disease, HIV received most funding (£369.7m; 15.6% of the total investment). Pre-clinical science was the predominant type of science (£1.6 billion, 68.7%), with the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) the largest funder (£714.8 million, 30.1%). There is a broad temporal trend to increased fundingper annum. Antimicrobial resistance received (£102.8 million, 4.2%), whilst sepsis received £23.6 million (1.0%). Compared alongside disease burden, acute hepatitis C and measles typically were relatively well-funded, whilst pneumonia, syphilis and gonorrhoea were poorly-funded. The UK has a broad research portfolio across a wide range of infectious diseases and disciplines. There are notable strengths including HIV, some respiratory infections and in pre-clinical science, though there was less funding for UK-relevant trials and public health research. Compared to the UK burden of disease, syphilis, gonorrhoea and pneumonia appear

Regulation of nuclear power in the UK after Chernobyl

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryder, E.A.

1987-01-01

The essential philosophy underlying safe nuclear power in the UK is to establish a safe design and then monitor the manufacture, construction, commissioning, operation and maintenance to ensure that the safe design intent is not violated either deliberately or unintentionally. In the UK any commercial nuclear installation must have a nuclear site licence. The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) is the agency responsible for granting licences and ensuring the safe design and operation of the installation by the licensee. The way in which the NII does this for the 27 licensed sites that it regulates in the UK is explained. This covers plant assessment and site inspection. Following the accident at Chernobyl the NII reviewed the way in which it regulates nuclear power in the UK. Some changes in specific areas were recommended but no changes in the general philosophy were considered necessary. (UK)

The UK commercial demonstration fast reactor design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holmes, J.A.G.

1987-01-01

The paper on the UK Commercial Demonstration Fast Reactor design was presented to the seminar on 'European Commercial Fast Reactor Programme, London 1987. The design is discussed under the topic headings:- primary circuit, intermediate heat exchangers and pumps, fuel and core, refuelling, steam generators, and nuclear island layout. (U.K.)

Proximal Foundations of Jealousy: Expectations of Exclusivity in the Infant's First Year of Life.

Science.gov (United States)

Hart, Sybil L

2016-10-01

In this synthesis, we summarize studies that yielded evidence of jealousy in young infants. To shed light on this phenomenon, we present evidence that jealousy's foundation rests on history of dyadic interactions with caregivers which engender infants' expectations of exclusivity, and on maturation of sociocognitive capacities that enable infants to evaluate whether an exchange between their caregiver and another child represents a violation of that expectation. We conclude with a call for greater study of the antecedents and sequelae of both normative and atypical presentations of jealousy. In addition, we recommend approaches that address jealousy across a range of relationships, both within and beyond those which include attachment figures.

The Application of Foundation Pit Monitoring Technology to the Excavation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qiu Jin

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The foundation pit monitoring plays an important role in the foundation pit supporting projects especially in those deep foundation pit projects. Through the whole monitoring of the foundation pit construction from the excavation to the backfill, we can learn about the forcing and deforming process of the foundation pit supporting system, and grasp the impact of external condition changes on the foundation pit. This paper takes a project in Jinan as an example to establish a specific monitoring program, and then conducts the analysis and evaluation of the monitoring data; the real-time grasp of the foundation pit deformation and internal force changes can help to further ensure the security status of the foundation pit, thus better guiding the construction.

Impact and implications of international financial reporting standards in the UK : evidence from the alternative investment market\\ud

OpenAIRE

Ali, Arshad; Akbar, Saeed; Ormrod, Phillip; Shah, Syed Zulfiqar Ali

2016-01-01

This paper investigates implications of the IFRS adoption from the perspective of small and growing companies listed on the UK Alternative Investment Market (AIM). The study considers the cost-benefit issues of the IFRS adoption and investigates its economic consequences. The results reveal that only a small number of comparatively larger AIM companies have voluntarily adopted IFRS for some anticipated economic objectives. The results also suggest that most of the mandatory adopters have done...

A UK perspective on recycling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, T.

1991-01-01

The United Kingdom, through the recycling of depleted uranium from Magnox reactors into Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) fuel, has already recycled significant quantities of reprocessed material in reactors owned by Nuclear Electric plc and Scottish Nuclear Limited. This AGR fuel has been satisfactorily irradiated and discharged over a decade or more, and will be reprocessed in the new Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP), currently under construction in the UK. British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) and the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) have also been exploiting the potential of plutonium recycled in mixed oxide (MOX) fuel, which they have been making since 1963. All of the UK nuclear companies are committed to further recycling of Magnox depleted uranium during the 1990s, and it is anticipated that oxide recycling will also become firmly established during the next decade. British Nuclear Fuels and Urenco Ltd, as the providers of fuel cycle services, are developing an infrastructure to close the fuel cycle for oxide nuclear fuel, using both the uranium and plutonium arising from reprocessing. (author)

Perceptions and Impact of Mandatory eLearning for Foundation Trainee Doctors: A Qualitative Evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Brooks, Hannah L; Pontefract, Sarah K; Vallance, Hannah K; Hirsch, Christine A; Hughes, Elizabeth; Ferner, Robin E; Marriott, John F; Coleman, Jamie J

2016-01-01

Junior doctors in the UK must complete various educational components during their two year Foundation training programme. It is important that mandatory learning is informative and engaging. The aim of this study was to evaluate trainee doctors' perceptions of a Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) programme developed to improve prescribing competency. Focus groups and interviews were conducted at three hospital sites in the West Midlands. Codes, sub-themes and themes were determined using deductive and inductive thematic analysis. Data were collected from 38 Foundation trainee doctors. Results revealed major themes relating to prescribing education, the user experience and user engagement. Key findings included the positive impact of preparedness following undergraduate education on the user experience of the TEL programme at the postgraduate level; the impact of content, structure, and individual learning needs and styles on the user experience; and the impact of motivation and time on engagement. Most trainees engaged with the programme owing to its mandatory nature; however, some trainees also used the programme voluntarily, for example, to acquire knowledge prior to starting a new placement. It is important to ensure that learners are willing to engage with mandatory TEL, and that they have the time and motivation to do so. It is also important to ensure that learners have a positive user experience and that in designing TEL individual differences in learning styles and needs are taken into account. These findings have implications for educators and system developers in the construction and design of mandatory eLearning programmes.

American Porphyria Foundation

Science.gov (United States)

... Nicole Castelano Gregary Edwards Megan Parrish ~ How the dog I didn't want became the dog I'd always dreamed of Darnisha Davenport Liz ... or through the site for commercial or public purposes. The American Porphyria Foundation (APF) Tax Forms 990 ...

Regulation of fuel cycle facilities in the UK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ascroft-Hutton, H.W.

2001-01-01

The UK has facilities for the production of uranium hexafluoride, its enrichment, conversion into fuel and for the subsequent reprocessing of irradiated fuel and closure of the fuel cycle. All of these facilities must be licensed under UK legislation. HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate has delegated powers to issue the licence and to attach any conditions it considers necessary in the interests of safety. The fuel cycle facilities in the UK have been licensed since 1971. This paper describes briefly the UK nuclear regulatory framework and the fuel cycle facilities involved. It considers the regulatory practices adopted together with similarities and differences between regulation of fuel cycle facilities and power reactors. The safety issues associated with the fuel cycle are discussed and NII's regulatory strategy for these facilities is set out. (author)

Ammonia emission factors for UK agriculture

Science.gov (United States)

Misselbrook, T. H.; Van Der Weerden, T. J.; Pain, B. F.; Jarvis, S. C.; Chambers, B. J.; Smith, K. A.; Phillips, V. R.; Demmers, T. G. M.

Ammonia (NH 3) emission inventories are required for modelling atmospheric NH 3 transport and estimating downwind deposition. A recent inventory for UK agriculture, estimating emission as 197 kt NH 3-N yr -1, was constructed using 1993 statistical and census data for the UK. This paper describes the derivation of the UK-based emission factors used in the calculation of that emission for a range of livestock classes, farm practices and fertiliser applications to agricultural land. Some emission factors have been updated where more recent information has become available. Some of the largest emission factors derived for each farming practice include 16.9 g NH 3-N dairy cow -1 d -1 for grazing, 148.8 g NH 3-N liveweight unit -1 yr -1 for housed broilers and 4.8 g NH 3-N m -2 d -1 for storage of solid pig and poultry waste as manure heaps. Emissions for land spreading of all livestock waste were 59% of the total ammoniacal nitrogen (TAN) applied as a high dry matter content slurry and 76% of TAN applied as farm yard manure. An updated estimate of emission from UK agriculture, using updated emission factors together with 1997 statistical and census data, is presented, giving a total of 226 kt NH 3-N per year.