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Along which identity lines does 21st century Britain divide? Evidence from Big Brother
Get PDFThis paper measures discrimination in the reality TV show Big Brother, a high-stakes environment. Data on contestants’ nominations are taken from 35 series of the British version of the show, covering the years 2000-2016. Race and age discrimination are found, with contestants more likely to nominate those of a different race and those different in age from themselves. However, no discrimination is identified on the basis of gender, geographical region of origin, or level of education. Racial discrimination is driven by males, but females exhibit stronger age discrimination than males. Age discrimination is driven by the younger contestants discriminating against the older. Regional differences emerge, particularly between contestants from Greater London and those from the north of England; northerners have a stronger tendency to engage in racial and age discrimination, and to discriminate in favour of the opposite gender
The interactive effect of gender, residence, and socioeconomic status on early sexual debut among sexually active young adults in Ghana
Get PDFAim
The objective of this study was to examine the interactive effect of gender, rural–urban residence, and socioeconomic status on early sexual debut among young adults in Ghana.
Methods
The study used the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey with a sample of 2746 sexually active youth (males = 670 and females = 2076) aged 15–24. We used multivariate logistic regression to analyse the data.
Results
Our results showed that female youth in urban areas and those from the wealthiest households were less likely to initiate early sexual debut. Additionally, youth resident in urban areas from rich households are less likely to initiate early debut. However, a 3-way interactive effective revealed that female youth resident in urban areas from rich households were found to be more likely to initiate early debut.
Conclusion
Our findings underscores that gender-based sexual and reproductive health interventions and programmes may be more appropriate for adolescent females in rich households living in urban areas. These intervention should reach these teenagers before they start engaging in sexual intercourse
The (New) roles of prototypes during the co-development of digital product service systems
Get PDFThis paper investigates different roles that prototypes play during the development of digital Product Service Systems (PSSs). A literature review reveals that prototyping supports designers during the design process, as well as during knowledge sharing processes with stakeholders. To create a better understanding of these two co-existing roles of prototyping, we executed a research-through-design project in the healthcare domain. This design project was centred around the development of four different prototypes that the designer sequentially developed. A major input into the design process was co-reflection sessions between the designer and different stakeholders. We analysed the prototyping process and the co-reflection sessions. Moreover, we executed a conversational analysis to understand the actual knowledge sharing processes between the designer and the different stakeholders. The results present a detailed overview of the different (co-existing) roles of the prototypes. We distinguished two new types of prototypes which were both related to the development of the intangible aspects of the digital PSS: (1) service interface prototrial aimed at exploring several options for detailing the different intangible aspects of the digital PSS, and (2) service provotype to stimulate collaborative creation of the intangible aspects of the digital PSS in an early stage
Back-iron extension thermal benefits for electrical machines with concentrated windings
Get PDFThis paper proposes a novel, low-cost, effective way to improve the thermal performance of electrical machines by extending a part of the back-iron into the slot. This modification helps in reducing the thermal resistance path from the center of the slot to the coolant, however its thermal benefits must be clearly evaluated in conjunction with the electromagnetic aspects, due to the higher iron losses and flux-leakage, and furthermore such an extension occupies space which would otherwise be allocated to the copper itself. Taking a case study involving an existing 75kW electric vehicle (EV) traction motor, the tradeoffs involving the losses, fluxleakage, output torque, torque-quality and the peak winding temperature with back-iron extension (BIE) and without are compared. Finally, experimental segments of the aforesaid motor are tested, verifying a significant 26.7% peak winding temperature reduction for the same output power with the proposed modification
Forced vibration analysis of a fibre-reinforced polymer laminated beam using the green function method
Get PDFThis work aims to study forced vibration characteristics of Fibre-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composite laminated beam with different properties, through a development of an analytical model using the Green function method. The forced vibration characteristics of a FRP laminated beam structure is generally more complex than those of a homogeneous beam structure since each layer is anisotropic with a different layer having different properties. In this work, the Green function method is used to model an FRP laminated beam to solve the associated equation of motion. The proposed analytical model allows a more efficient parametric analysis to be done on FRP laminated beams, in contrast to using a numerical model that is more computationally expensive. The analytical model is verified through a comparison with the numerical model of FRP laminated beam. Based on the developed model, a FRP laminated beam with various fibre orientations, is studied under forced vibration, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed method for forced vibration analysis of a laminated beam
Application of microfluidics in biosensors
Get PDFThis chapter reviews the up-to-date researches in the field of biosensors integrated with microfluidic techniques, most of which are research works published within the last five years. The trend of integrating microfluidics into biosensing technologies is analyzed, as the features of microfluidics fulfills the technical requirements recently raised in the field of healthcare. The current research works are discussed in details based on the biological recognition events and the transduction mechanism. Their pros and cons are discussed. The potential of microfluidics-integrated biosensors are prospective and their future applications in the field of healthcare is revolutionary, for example in the field of portable and wearable biosensor, which can be fabricated at extremely low cost ad require no professional operation, and this can widen the application of biosensor especially for remote districts and extreme poverty populations. The possible future research interests in this field are proposed in this chapter
Passive cooling energy systems: holistic SWOT analyses for achieving urban sustainability
Get PDFIn urban sustainability, passive cooling energy systems are recognised as primary design factors that highlight efficient and performative buildings. In the literature, there is a gap in addressing these design systems in the form of strategies that holistically suggest sustainable energy systems, cleaner built environments, and urban sustainability. This study fills this gap by conducting comprehensive SWOT analysis of all major passive cooling energy systems. In doing so, the study highlights key implications from a multi-indicator perspective comprised of five primary indicators, ‘energy’, ‘policy’, ‘practice’, ‘health’, and ‘environment’. These indicators are significant for disciplines of sustainable energy systems and the built environment. Through an in-depth interdependency evaluation of these indicators, this study assesses the passive energy systems across three spatial levels of macro, meso, and micro. Finally, this paper provides a holistic overview of these sustainable energy systems from the policy and practice perspectives across the three spatial levels
Experimental analysis of a high temperature water heat pipe for thermal storage applications
Get PDFHeat pipes spanning the 300°C to 500°C temperature range are still under research and development stage. Monel/water heat pipes have been previously explored as an option for operation up to 300°C. Life tests of up to 30000 hours have shown good compatibility at 250°C. The author explores the performance of a heat pipe using a different copper/nickel alloy with water as the working fluid at temperatures above 280°C. The performance of these water heat pipes at the upper limit of their operational temperature range in the horizontal position is highlighted and compared against numerical calculations of the heat pipe boiling limit. The use of these heat pipes in the context of thermal storage applications is also briefly explored
Green infrastructure practice and a sustainability key performance indicators framework for neighbourhood-level construction of sponge city programme
Get PDFIn recent years, the Sponge City program (SCP) of China, as a sustainable stormwater management approach, has been strengthened as a national strategic level program. The Green Infrastructure (GI), due to its multi-objective and multi-benefits, has been adopted as an important measure of this new nationwide initiative. However, there is a lack of a comprehensive quantitative evaluation system for neighbourhood scale SCP. Hence, in the process of GI plan optimization, selection of implementation methods to balance its multi-benefits has become one of the key obstacles in the practice of SCP. To support robust decision making on multi-objective GI planning and comprehensive assessment, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) has been used as a structural and systematic technique. In addition, a set of sustainability key performance indicators (KPIs) including requisite dimensions is the foundation for neighbourhood scale sustainability. Hence, AHP-based evaluation system including selection, weighting and ranking of the KPIs, is defined as a key performance indicator framework (KPIF), which is still in need for further development. Taking the GI planning for the Liangnong, Siming Lake sponge node restoration as an example, this paper develops KPIF with a comprehensive evaluation system for high-quality “Sponge Node” transitional construction. This KPIF consists of three basic criteria: “Environmental Performance”, “Economic and Adaptability Performance”, and “Social-cultural Performance and Wellbeing Performance”. In addition, 15 weighted KPIs are concluded and amongst them, the followings were relatively high: weight of the ATRCR, the promotion of biodiversity, the construction cost saving, the maintenance cost saving, and the level of recreational and wellbeing improvements for all people. In addition, the developed KPIF provides a reference for similar program’s decision-making, not only for the Jiangnan area of China, but also for quantitatively comprehensive evaluations of SCP in other regions
Siliceous foam material and its application in post-combustion carbon capture for NGCC plants: effects of aging conditions
Get PDFIn an effort to reduce the overall energy penalty and capital expenditure associated with carbon capture technologies, a variety of porous solid adsorbents have been developed. The limitations of solid sorbent in large-scale process are related to its CO2 uptake, physicochemical stability, lifecycle, regenerability and operation condition. In this paper, siliceous foam materials were synthesized via a modified microemulsion templating method and functionalized with branched polyethylenimine (PEI). The physical characteristics of synthesized silica adsorbents under different aging conditions were analysed via N2 sorption analysis and Scanned Electron Microscopy (SEM) morphological analysis. CO2 uptake was evaluated by thermogravimetric analyser (TGA). The results show that CO2 uptake is desirable even under low CO2 partial pressure and is predictable with multiple linear regression (MLR) model in the range of examined materials
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