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A design approach on the use of lightweight filling materials for construction of an aircraft deicing station at a critical soil site: a case study
Get PDFDeicing and anti-icing operations are frequently carried out on aircrafts at their current parking stand after completion of ground operations. Use of individual stands can be often challenging as this may also considerably affect operations, especially in highly-trafficked airports at winter-critical areas. Hence, a lack of or an incorrect location of these stations may have tremendous economic and operational impact.
This research reports a multi-stage design method for construction of a 29.000-m2 deicing station in a critical soil site. The main aim of the project is to identify sustainable interventions to avoid short- and long-term economic, environmental and operational issues. An assessment based on the use of fundamental geotechnical parameters is first implemented to create thematic maps of the identified construction area, followed by a comparative analysis of potential intervention scenarios. A combination of lightweight filling and advanced materials has been proposed to ensure homogeneity and suitable bearing capacity of the laying ground
A taxonomy of arts interventions for people with dementia
Get PDFBackground and Objectives
The current evidence base for the arts and dementia has several limitations relating to the description, explanation, communication, and simplification of arts interventions. Research addressing these challenges must be multidisciplinary, taking account of humanities and science perspectives. Consequently, this research aimed to produce a taxonomy, or classification, of arts interventions for people with dementia as a contribution to this growing field.
Research Design and Methods
This research was underpinned by taxonomy and realist methodology. Taxonomy, the science of classification, produces a common language to name, define, and describe the world around us. Realist theory explains how interventions “work” and produce their effects. The main findings in this paper were generated from a case study and a Delphi study.
Results
An arts and dementia taxonomy of 12 dimensions was developed: Art Form, Artistic elements, Artistic focus, Artistic materials, Arts activity, Arts approaches, Arts facilitators, Arts location, Competencies, Complementary arts, Intervention context, Principles.
Discussion and Implications
Arts interventions can be classified according to their contexts, mechanisms, and outcomes. A range of stakeholders could benefit from the taxonomy, including people with dementia, artists, practitioners, carers, care staff, funders, commissioners, researchers, and academics. Language relating to the arts and dementia can be adapted depending on the audience. This is a foundational model requiring further development within the arts and dementia community
Terrorist Recruitment and prison radicalization: assessing the UK experiment of 'separation centres'
Get PDFWhile correctional institutions are supposed to be strong partners in disengagement from violence, prisons have historically played an instrumental role in many radical organisations enabling recruitment of new followers. Recent examples from Europe and the Middle East demonstrate that prisons frequently facilitate the spread of Islamist ideology by providing inmates a platform to forge alliances, exchange experience and recruit potential attackers. Because policies regarding management of terrorism-related offenders can either mitigate or exacerbate the risks of prison radicalisation, it is important to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. This paper examines strategies for dealing with Islamism in prisons worldwide (dispersal, containment and mixed approach) focusing on best practices and assesses the United Kingdom’s experiment of “separation centres” from the point of view of its potential to tackle the spread of Islamism in prisons
Poster from world premiere performance
No full textThe Susquehanna Symphomy gave the world premiere of 'Dearly Ransomed Soul' by David Osbon on the 9th of March 2019 in Bel Air, Maryland US
Community health impact assessment in Ghana: contemporary concepts and practical methods
Get PDFIt has long been recognised that health and its determinants are strongly influenced by policies, programmes and projects outside of the healthcare sector. Few countries have introduced health impact assessments (HIA) to try and ensure that probable impacts on health are considered. An appropriate health impact assessment regime will identify negative and positive impacts of proposed health policies and programmes on health, enable the interpretation of health risk and potential health gain, and present the information to assist in decision making. These HIAs are often generic and rapid desk-based appraisals characterised by the use of information and evidence that is already available or easily accessible and generally undertaken by administrators in an organisation to gain a snapshot of the health impacts to inform proposal direction. Rapid and generic desk-based assessments require less-intensive effort and resources and draws on existing data sources from scientific peer-reviewed and grey literature to analyse potential health impacts. However, both sources can also be used to determining whether a more detailed review is necessary. The Community HIA model proposed by this work departs from the generic and rapid desk- based appraisals and is intended to provide practical evidence to give higher priority to people’s viewpoints, promote participation, understanding and incorporate community voices to help shape future policy, programmes and practice. A comprehensive review of Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was carried out using the generic desk based HIA approach. This was followed by a practical qualitative community field work. In this research we have demonstrated how community HIA is to be conducted through an actual case study in the Ghanaian West African context. The scope of this work is wide and incorporates the consideration of key concepts and possible methods for carrying out HIA at the community level
Case study 13: London, United Kingdom
No full textA total of 18 case studies assembled in the report are the follow-up to the general approach laid out in the previous publication ‘Overtourism’? – Understanding and Managing Urban Tourism Growth beyond Perceptions’. Launched in September 2018, it examines how to manage tourism in urban destinations to the benefit of visitors and residents alike, offering a wide range of strategies and measures for a better understanding and management of challenges and opportunities.
“Urban tourism is multifaceted and requires a city-wide strategy with cooperation between all stakeholders and the inclusion of tourism in the urban agenda”, said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili. “Sustainable and inclusive cities must mean creating cities for all: citizens, investors and visitors”, he addedd.
As acomplement to the conceptual approach, the report presented today looks into concrete case studies from Amsterdam, Antwerp, Barcelona, Berlin, Besalú, Cambridge, Dubrovnik, Edinburgh, Ghent, Hangzhou, London, Lucerne, Macao (China), New York, Lisbon, Seoul, Porto, Prague and Venice,.
The examples show that there is no ‘one-size fits all’ measure to tackle overtourism, and that any successful destination management strategy needs to be context specific. Although this might not come as a surprise, there is a connecting thread between the fundamental challenges: congestion in specific locations and sites at specific moments, mobility, pressure on infrastructure and resources, decrease in ‘place’ authenticity and impact on social fabrics and residents daily lives.
Consequently, the most common measures currently being implemented by destinations relate to the dispersal of visitors within the city and beyond, showing the pressing need to manage tourism congestion in certain areas and attractions. Measures with the aim of improving the city infrastructure and facilities are also frequently mentioned, reflecting the fact that many challenges are linked not only to the growing number of visitors but also to the pressure placed by residents, commuters and tourists on the city’s resources and services
Immersive audio post-production for 360° video: workflow case studies
Get PDFPerhaps the most pervasive immersive format at present is 360° video, which can be panned whilst being viewed. Typically, such footage is captured with a specialist camera. Approaches and workflow for the creation of 3-D audio for this medium are seldom documented, and methods are often heuristic. This paper offers insight into such approaches, and whilst centered on post-production, also discusses some aspects of audio capture. This is done via a number of case studies that draw from the commercial work of immersive-audio company, 1.618 Digital. Although these case studies are unified by certain common approaches, they also include unusual aspects such as binaural recording of insects, sonic capture of moving vehicles and the use of drones
Cyberbullying in schools: Cross-cultural issues
Get PDFAlthough the great majority of research studies on cyberbullying have been carried out in western countries (Zych, Ortega & del Rey, 2015), the issue is recognised to be an international one. There has been a tradition of research in the Asian Pacific Rim countries (Smith, Kwak & Toda, 2016), and growing research in other areas such as South-East Asia (Sittichai & Smith, 2015). These studies raise important methodological issues. How similar, or different, is the phenomenon of cyberbullying in different countries? What are the challenges in making comparisons and comparing rates in different countries? Finally, how can such differences be explained? This chapter will examine societal and cross-national variations in bully and victim rates, and characteristics (such as age and gender differences, types of cyberbullying), across a wide range of countries. Explanations of cross-national differences will be discussed in terms of the five factors in the EU Kids Online model: Cultural values [e.g. Hofstede], Education system [schools, colleges], Technological infrastructure [penetration of mobile phones, smart phones and internet], Regulatory framework [policies, legal aspects] and Socio-economic stratification [GDP, socioeconomic inequality]
Investigating the potential impact of energy-efficient measures for retrofitting existing UK hotels to reach the nearly zero energy building (nZEB) standard
Get PDFThe existing non-residential building stock can generally be considered energy inefficient. The ECUK 2017 report states that the final energy consumption for commercial buildings remained static. The 2010 recast Energy Performance Building Directive (EPBD) has set out a requirement for commercial and residential buildings to be nearly Zero Energy Buildings (nZEBs) by 2020. Despite this, within the UK a definition does not exist at the national level for commercial nZEBs (new or existing).
This paper utilises the EU zebra2020 data tool to set a standard based on the existing UK nZEB commercial building stock. The aim of this paper is to investigate and assess the potential of various energy efficient measures (EEMs) and their contribution to reducing energy consumption, primary energy consumption (PEC), and CO2 emissions whilst taking into consideration the energy and cost-savings of those measures. The analysis is carried out using Thermal Analysis Simulation software (Tas, Edsl). The model validation obtained a performance gap of less than 5%. The results show that it is possible to achieve the nZEB standard for older UK hotel buildings if several measures are implemented and the initial selection of EEMs is carefully investigated. Based on the results reaching the nZEB target should first take into consideration improving the building fabric and/or building envelope elements to lower the energy demand. Once the energy demand of the building is lowered the incorporation of a renewable/microgeneration system is essential to meeting the nZEB target
"I see you baby...": expressive gesture and nonverbal communication in popular music performance education
No full textJane Davidson (2002, p. 146) states that ‘the use of the body is vital in generating the technical and expressive qualities of a musical interpretation’. Although technique and expression within music performance are separate elements, ‘they interact with, and depend upon, one another’ (Sloboda, 2000, p. 398) and, therefore, require equal consideration. Although it is possible for a musician to perform with exceptional technical prowess but little expression (Sloboda, 2000), it is important that the significance of the expressive qualities of the performer is acknowledged because whilst ‘sound is the greatest result of performance’ (Munoz, 2007, p. 56), music is not exclusively an auditory event, principally because ‘sound is essentially movement’ (Munoz, 2007, p. 56). It is vital to understand the importance of the delivery of expressive gesture just as much as the accomplishment of secure and proficient instrumental technique.
This chapter centres on findings from an ethnographic study into the use of expressive gesture and non-verbal communication in the ensemble rehearsal and performance practices of undergraduate popular music performance students. A discursive approach to performance and teaching practice is interwoven with relevant theoretical perspectives from the field of music education and beyond, and identifies relationships between gesture and the musical performance, and how the areas of leadership, trust and confidence can influence the expressive delivery of a performer. The chapter culminates in an explanation of how findings from this project provide the content for specifically designed classes and workshops which focus on the teaching of expressive performance to popular music performance undergraduates at the University of West London. These classes place the art of performance alongside the equally crucial skill of secure technique and proficient instrumental handling and allow performers to develop their own unique style of artistic expression – creating well-rounded, empathetic, and employable musicians who have a visceral understanding of their art form