19684 research outputs found
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Firm-level climate change exposure and credit ratings
No full textWe investigate how within-firm changes in climate-related risk disclosure affect credit rating quality among U.S. companies. Using 44,905 quarterly observations from 1,546 firms spanning 2001 to 2023, we find that increases in a firm’s climate change exposure, measured by the relative frequency of climate discussion in earnings calls compared to the firm’s historical average, are positively associated with its credit ratings. This suggests that credit rating agencies reward greater transparency and proactive engagement with climate risks. Our results are robust across multiple identification strategies and highlight the growing importance of climate-related disclosure practices in corporate creditworthiness
Use of DACC-coated wound dressings in the reduction of surgical site infection:A systematic review and meta-analysis
No full textAim: To assess the evidence from randomised controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies that have studied the use of DACC-coated dressings in reducing surgical site infection (SSI). Methods: A systematic review with meta-analysis was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement standards. Randomised controlled trials (RCT) and quasi-experimental studies comparing DACC-coated dressings against a non-DACC-coated dressing were considered for inclusion. All studies meeting eligibility criteria were assessed for risk of bias. A random effects meta-analysis was conducted on the SSI outcome, with a sensitivity analysis conducted to assess influence of individual studies. Study homogeneity and the relationship between control and intervention treatments was explored via Galbraith and L’Abbé plots. Results: Five studies were identified for inclusion. All were considered low or medium risk of bias. The synthesised odds ratio for SSI was 0.59 (95% CI 0.46, 0.75); hence odds of SSI were almost halved in patients treated with DACC-coated dressings. The quality of the evidence as rated as high, with results indicating high levels of consistency, precision and directness, in conjunction with the risk of bias findings. Conclusions: DACC-coated dressings are effective in reducing SSI after surgery
Doc Alliance - The Wages of John Pernia (streaming premiere)
No full textStreaming premiere of THE WAGES OF JOHN PERNIA on Doc Alliance's DAFilms platform. The film first premiered in international competition at DOK Leipzig 2023
Comparing City Governance Models for Economic Development:The Emergence of Shared, Visionary Leadership
No full textThis article provides a theoretically informed and empirically grounded analysis of the local political leadership of economic development policy. It is a small-N comparative study examining two cities in England and two in Spain: Birmingham in the Midlands and Manchester in the north-west of England, and Seville and Malaga, both in the southern region of Andalusia. Our analysis draws on the literature of political leadership styles informed by the typology of urban leadership developed by John and Cole in 1999. Our core purpose was to advance empirical knowledge of how local leadership styles affect the governance of economic development policy. We do so by identifying the decisive actors involved in the ecosystem of municipal economic development policy, the style of local political leader in each case and the impact of different local government systems in Spain and England on the governance of municipal economic development policy. Our findings point to the scope for further theoretical development of John and Cole's typology to fully capture a shared and collaborative leadership style which our research revealed as increasingly prevalent in local governance.</p
Does it matter where it comes from? Urban air pollution and life satisfaction
No full textThis paper investigates whether the source of urban air pollution matters for subjective well-being, using self-reported life satisfaction data from urban Chile. While most studies examine the effects of total pollution, this study distinguishes between pollution generated by households, firms, and transport. I develop a conceptual framework to model household avoidance behaviour and responses to differently targeted policy changes, and empirically test the relationship between source-specific pollution exposure and life satisfaction using spatially matched survey and emissions data. The results show that air pollution from firms and transport is negatively associated with life satisfaction, while pollution generated by households, primarily through wood-burning stoves and heating, does not have a significant overall effect. An analysis of geographic heterogeneity of the results, introduced using cli- matic macro-zones, shows that in southern Chile, where biomass use is prevalent, residential pollution is linked to lower life satisfaction among non-emitting households. These findings suggest that disaggregating pollution by source provides more actionable insights for policy and highlights the importance of targeting pollution in ways that reflect its origins and distributional impacts
A hybrid hierarchical health monitoring solution for autonomous detection, localization and quantification of damage in composite wind turbine blades for tinyML applications
No full textComposites are widely used in wind turbine blades due to their excellent strength-to-weight ratio and operational flexibilities. However, wind turbines often operate in harsh environmental conditions that can lead to various types of damage, including abrasion, corrosion, fractures, cracks, and delamination. Early detection through structural health monitoring (SHM) is essential for maintaining the efficient and reliable operation of wind turbines, minimizing downtime and maintenance costs, and optimizing energy output. Further, Damage detection and localization are challenging in curved composites due to their anisotropic nature, edge reflections, and generation of higher harmonics. Previous work has focused on damage localization using deep-learning approaches. However, these models are computationally expensive, and multiple models need to be trained independently for various tasks such as damage classification, localization, and sizing identification. Also, the data generated due to AE waveforms at a minimum sampling rate of 1MSPS is huge, requiring tinyML enabled hardware for real time ML models which can reduce the size of cloud storage required. TinyML hardware can run ML models efficiently with low power consumption. This paper presents a Hybrid Hierarchical Machine-Learning Model (HHMLM) that leverages acoustic emission (AE) data to identify, classify, and locate different types of damage using the single unified model. The AE data is collected using a single sensor, with damage simulated by artificial AE sources (Pencil lead break) and low-velocity impacts. Additionally, simulated abrasion on the blade’s leading edge resembles environmental wear. This HHMLM model achieved 96.4% overall accuracy with less computation time than 83.8% for separate conventional Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) models. The developed SHM solution provides a more effective and practical solution for in-service monitoring of wind turbine blades, particularly in wind farm settings, with the potential for future wireless sensors with tiny ML applications
Modelling phosphate and arsenate adsorption on cerium dioxide:A density functional theory study
No full textPhosphate and arsenate species provide challenging environmental problems necessitating the search for efficient removal mechanisms from natural waters. Arsenic and phosphorous compounds have a high affinity for metal (hydr)oxide surfaces, and since phosphate and arsenate are isostructural, they have similar adsorption behaviour. This study provides results on arsenate and phosphate adsorption onto cerium dioxide using density functional theory, which is a promising adsorbent for the removal of these species. Ceria was modelled as the {100}, {110}, and {111} faces representative of ceria nanoparticles, assuming compositions from fully oxidised to fully reduced surfaces. Phosphate is generally more stable than arsenate adsorption, in agreement with macroscopic experimental studies. However, in some of the probed surfaces and adsorption densities, the relative stability flipped, which is an important finding for the understanding of the competitive behaviour between the species, especially in systems controlled by fast initial adsorption kinetics. The strength of the adsorption is generally stronger as the concentration of surface Ce3+ increases, while remaining stable as the concentration of adsorbates increases. As the concentration of adsorbates increases, a complex hydrogen-bond network forms, but is not sufficient to stabilize the adsorption further as the adsorbates compete for surface anchoring sites disrupting the adsorption process.</p
Applying Antimicrobial Strategies in Wound Care Practice:A Review of the Evidence
No full textAntimicrobial resistance is increasing due to an overreliance on antimicrobials to treat and manage infections. Chronic wounds are particularly vulnerable to infections and harbour complex microbial communities, increasing the risk of secondary infections caused by antimicrobial resistant bacteria. Accurate and early diagnosis of infection ensures appropriate treatment interventions and a reduction in the likelihood that antibiotic use is required. Despite this, the overuse of antibiotic treatment in wound care is still evident. Antimicrobial stewardship describes a structured approach to managing antimicrobial resistance through educating healthcare professionals about antimicrobial use to improve patient outcomes and minimise the spread of infections. However, the evidence suggests that healthcare professionals experience barriers when attempting to implement such strategies in their practice. It is essential that the principles of antimicrobial stewardship are embedded into wound care treatment and management. This review aimed to explore the current barriers to antimicrobial stewardship in wound care clinical practice and discuss the strategies that can be applied to successfully maximise infection prevention. There is a need to further educate wound care practitioners about antimicrobial stewardship and future research should concentrate on understanding how healthcare professionals can work collaboratively to implement such strategies in their practice.</p
A qualitative exploration of community stakeholders perspectives on dengue outbreak management in urban Nepal:navigational insights and challenges
No full textIntroduction: Dengue outbreaks are a recurring public health challenge in urban areas of Nepal, necessitating proactive engagement of community stakeholders to ensure effective prevention and control measures. However, there is limited evidence of community engagement in dengue management in urban settings in Nepal. This study aimed to assess the community stakeholders’ perceptions and experiences on dengue outbreak management in urban settings in Nepal. Method: A qualitative study with interpretive phenomenology approach was conducted among community leaders and female community health volunteers (FCHVs) who were directly involved in the prevention and control of Dengue outbreaks in Lalitpur Metropolitan City. The participants were selected based on the purposive sampling with inclusion criteria. Twenty face-to-face, in-depth interviews were conducted between April 2023 and June 2023 among the local community stakeholders. The data were analysed using a thematic analysis approach guided by the Health Belief Model as a theoretical framework. Results: Findings are presented under two broader themes (i) Community contributions in awareness building, and (ii) Stakeholders’ experiences on dengue management and prevention. The study identified perceived severity and susceptibility, driven by recurrent dengue outbreaks, as key motivators for stakeholders engagement and actions in dengue outbreak management. Community-based initiatives, such as awareness programs and home-to-home visits, were considered effective in increasing public engagement. However, challenges such as delayed actions, the community’s limited knowledge of dengue prevention and control, reluctance for consistent source reduction, inadequate water supply, and adverse sociocultural practices posed significant barriers to dengue management. Despite these obstacles, stakeholders expressed strong self-efficacy and commitment to the prevention and control of potential dengue outbreaks in future. Conclusion: Local stakeholder engagement was considered crucial in dengue outbreak prevention and control. However, proactive, timely planning, continuous dissemination of dengue education, improved health infrastructures, and enhanced collaboration and coordination among community members and authorities are essential for the effective management of dengue outbreaks.</p
CFD Analysis of Straightener Designs on Overall Performance of the Axial Flow Blood Pump
No full textVentricular assist devices (VADs) have emerged as an effective clinical tool for offering crucial aid to patients suffering with heart failure. To achieve optimal performance that matches a healthy ventricle, precise design and a thorough understanding of hydraulic and clinical factors are crucial. This research paper presents a comprehensive analysis using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software ANSYS Fluent at different range of rotational speed and flow rate to examine the performance of an axial blood pump with three different straightener designs: conical, cylindrical, and paraboloid. The primary objective is to assess the impact of these straightener designs on the overall performance of the axial blood pump. Initially, the base axial pump employed conical straightener designs, which were subsequently modified to paraboloid and cylindrical shapes to evaluate their performance. Consistently, the results demonstrated that the paraboloid design outperformed the other designs. Specifically, the axial blood pump equipped with a paraboloid straightener exhibited an increased pressure head and lower intensity of turbulent kinetic energy compared to the other two designs. Additionally, the wall shear stress in the impeller region was lower in the paraboloid design. By employing CFD tool, this study provides valuable insights into the performance of different straightener designs for axial blood pumps. The findings highlight the superiority of the paraboloid design in terms of pressure head and wall shear stress reduction. These results contribute to enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), ultimately benefiting patients with heart failure
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