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Project delivery system selection via overlapping strategy: a multi-mode resource-constrained scheduling model
No full textThe continuous evolution of the project delivery system (PDS) in recent years has posed a conundrum to practitioners in choosing the appropriate PDS for a project. This study tries to solve this challenge from the perspective of the overlapping strategy. An optimal PDS should balance overlapping and rework by analysing the relationships between project activities. This study develops a multiple overlapping modes resource-constrained project scheduling problem with a generalised precedence relations (MOM-RCPSP-GPR) model. This model generalises the traditional precedence constraints between activities and extends the search space for better resource usage compared to the current overlap literature. It adopts innovative hybrid methods based on heuristics and genetic algorithms. Computational experiments and a case study are conducted to verify the effectiveness and efficiency of the framework and its application in practice. The results show that the proposed model can better reflect the overlapping role compared to existing research, and the adopted hybrid approach can effectively solve this problem. Hence, this study contributes to the literature on overlapping and PDS selection and has substantial practical applicability.<br/
Understanding the influence of gender, masculinity, and femininity on attitudes and behaviours around meat consumption: comparison of measures to better inform policy action
No full textMeat consumption has important implications for both human and environmental health, and identifying barriers and opportunities that reduce this dietary preference are a key policy target. Numerous studies suggest men and more masculine individuals exhibit higher attachment to meat, which impacts their willingness to reduce its consumption; however, research exploring gender associations concerning masculinity and femininity is limited. Through a survey of 959 individuals, this study investigates the relationships between gender, masculinity, femininity, and dietary behaviours, including meat consumption and willingness to reduce consumption. A novel measure was introduced to assess gender-related traits independently of gender, enabling the effects of both masculinity and femininity on meat-related dietary behaviours to be explored. Men and women expressed masculinity and femininity across the scale, suggesting that men and women can exhibit different levels of both traits, regardless of gender. Men were more likely to consume meat than women, showing a significant gender association which was reflected in the masculinity and combined masculinity and femininity measures. Men and individuals with higher masculinity and masculinity-femininity scores displayed higher meat-eater identities, were more susceptible to social influence, and exhibited lower awareness or acceptance of health and environmental impacts. Men and higher-scoring masculinity-femininity individuals exhibited lower willingness to reduce meat. This result was not significant for masculinity alone, suggesting that incorporating constructs of both femininity and masculinity into a measure may provide a more nuanced understanding of dietary behaviours and attitudes. Policy makers and health professionals should consider how masculinity and gender might influence the acceptance of interventions which aim to change the prevalence of meat in people’s diets.<br/
Airway epithelium and respiratory syncytial virus - effect of developmental age on responses to infection
No full textVirtual Reality Exposure Therapy as a clinical intervention for public speaking anxiety in a treatment seeking sample: an extended literature review and randomised waitlist controlled trial
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Eco-Feminist co-housing: a design approach
No full textThe concept of ecofeminism identifies the key characteristics of patriarchal, capitalist, gender norms in order to promote socio-ecological change, intersectional gender justice, and a democratic distribution of care work. When this concept is applied to housing policy and planning, it has the potential to dismantle hegemonic gender boundaries and human environmental domination. Ecofeminist co-housing is rare, so we propose an in-depth analysis of two UK examples to investigate their ability to address overlapping intersectional crises of care, climate, and housing.</p
A numerical parametric analysis for NO<sub>x</sub> reduction and combustion performance of ammonia fuels blended with direct and cracked hydrogen
No full textAmmonia possesses significant potential in clean energy applications. However, its inherently low flammability somehow confronts a major challenge for its direct applications, necessitating the utilization of effective strategies to enhance its combustion. Among these, the combustion of hydrogen-ammonia mixtures has emerged as a promising approach for improving the combustion characteristics of ammonia. Nevertheless, the presence of nitrogen, a by-product of in-line ammonia cracking, causes the two fuel systems—one with cracked hydrogen and one with direct hydrogen—to behave differently during combustion. In this study, a chemical kinetic analysis was conducted to study the combustion characteristics of hydrogen-ammonia mixtures from different sources. Key combustion parameters—including laminar burning velocity, ignition delay time, and NOx emissions—were evaluated across a wide range of conditions: equivalence ratios (0.7–1.4), hydrogen blending ratios (0–0.3), oxygen content of oxidizer (0.21–0.71), and inlet temperatures (298–2000 K) and pressures (1–60 atm). Sensitivity analysis was also performed to identify the important reactions involved. The optimal hydrogen blending ratio was determined to be 30 vol% based on its enhancement of laminar burning velocity and its favorable NOx emission levels, benchmarked against a baseline methane flame. Four key fundamental reactions exerted significant influence on both flame propagation and ignition. A two-stage combustion strategy demonstrated considerable advantages, with the lowest NOx emission intensity observed when the overall equivalence ratio was 0.65 and the ratio of secondary to primary oxygen flow was maintained between 75 and 80 %. These findings provide guidance for developing efficient, low-emission combustion strategies for hydrogen-ammonia fuels.</p