Procter & Gamble (United Kingdom)
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Developing the criteria required to produce a technology-enhanced universal method of defining building works.
Get PDFMethods and rules of measurement, including the Standard Method of Measurement (SMM) and the New Rules of Measurement (NRM2), have been developed to address the continual need to describe and quantify building works in the UK and revised to adapt to changes in industry practices and materials, yet not all changes have been adequately addressed. Currently, surveyors often work directly for clients and, as a result, have lost the knowledge relating to some aspects of construction cost, which was historically provided by builders, including labour, plant, waste, and complexity of building works, and merely describe the material content of elemental building designs produced by architects. A research gap exists in the credence that the current methods are the most efficient and effective methods possible to achieve in practice (i.e., produce the fullest descriptions of building works possible). Although SSM and NRM2 are largely based on UK practice, the underlying philosophy behind the rules is applicable globally. This paper identifies key issues with these methods and develops the main criteria for a superior solution that can be used as the basis for more accurate software-based cost-estimating models. The research method includes the analysis and evaluation of twelve documents, which represent the evolution of the rules of measurement in the UK since 1922. An improved system based on describing 'workpieces' of work on-site, including the key criteria required to produce an enhanced standard method of description of building works that can be used globally, is offered
Maddie is online: a creative learning path to digital literacy for young people.
Get PDFThis paper explores young people's development of digital literacy and resilience and discusses how teachers and librarians can play an important role in supporting young people to become digital citizens: informed, active, ethical, safe and responsible members of the online society. The research involved the delivery and evaluation of an interactive educational workshops that included an online cartoon series, accompanied by openly available educational toolkits dealing with topics of online resilience and safety in the online environment. The research involved a total of 239 secondary school pupils, across six schools and within a single local authority in Scotland. Anonymous qualitative and quantitative data were collected from the learning activities, which related to young people's experiences, coping strategies and emotions in the online environment. The workshops empowered young people to open dialogue about challenging situations they experience in their everyday online connectivity and express their needs for further training. This work presents an innovative constructivist learning approach that can be replicated with young people to explore multiple challenges and opportunities they may encounter when navigating their online environment
Lions, bees, and chameleons: unravelling the entrepreneurial archetypes and their impact on performance and wellbeing.
Get PDFThis study explores the complex relationship between a founder's social identity and the Dark Triad traits. It aims to provide a more nuanced understanding of entrepreneurial behaviours and their subsequent impact on enterprise performance and founders' wellbeing. Drawing inspiration from the animal kingdom, we identify three entrepreneurial archetypes: Lions, Bees, and Chameleons, using Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) of 28,853 active entrepreneurs. Lions, embodying a balanced competitiveness, exhibit a strategic blend of dominance and communal living. As collaborative visionaries, Bees showcases a strong inclination towards teamwork and purpose-driven collaboration. Chameleons, the strategic individualists, reveal adaptability and calculated approaches to competition. The study reveals that these archetypes impact wellbeing and performance outcomes differently. Lions, Bees, and Chameleons contribute uniquely to entrepreneurial success, highlighting the diverse factors influencing business performance and individual satisfaction. By exploring the multifaceted nature of entrepreneurial behaviour, this research offers valuable insights into how social identity and personality traits shape entrepreneurial success. Identifying distinct archetypes enriches the current understanding of entrepreneurial dynamics, providing practical implications for individuals and businesses aiming to thrive in competitive environments. Additionally, the findings hold significant implications for policymakers seeking to foster a conducive environment for entrepreneurship and innovation. Understanding the unique characteristics of different entrepreneurial archetypes can inform the design of policies and programs tailored to support diverse entrepreneurial ventures and enhance overall economic growth
CCUS in the United Kingdom: overview, opportunities and challenges.
No full textCarbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) remains one of the useful tools for reducing GHGs emissions and decarbonising the economy at national and regional levels. Given its distinctive geological advantage and net-zero investment plans, this chapter examines the CCUS situation in the UK, focusing on important areas, including changing CO2 emission trends alongside key drivers, proposed industrial clusters by 2030, supporting initiatives, regulatory landscape and implementation strategies by the UK government. A glimpse at the current global CCUS market performance and financing options further unveils the major movers/drivers and evolving prospects globally. Whilst the study reveals that the CCUS investment effort in the UK is increasingly gaining momentum, it highlights some of the key intrinsic challenges and emerging opportunities presented by this sector. It additionally reveals a myriad of alternative and emerging financing strategies that can be deployed for financing projects, considering the magnitude of risks and uncertainties associated with CCUS and related investments. In conclusion, the study underscores the critical need for more proactive and strategic action to mitigate those risks and unlock the enormous growth opportunities associated with these technologies acknowledged as "a necessity, not an option" for the UK to meet its net-zero targets
Conceptions of sustainability and their impact on practices in oil and gas corporations operating in the Niger Delta.
No full textSustainability is a slippery term which can mean different things to different people. This slipperiness creates challenges in organisations that seem to want to adopt sustainable business practices but make little headway in actually doing so, or at least in providing the evidence that they are doing so. Set against the complex and infamously problematic backdrop of the Niger Delta and in the notoriously difficult to access context of oil and gas corporations operating in this region, this chapter explores the concept of sustainability from the perspective of those working in said corporations. Drawing on data gathered from interviews with both Human Resources (HR) and sustainability professionals, the notion of sustainability is traced through different lines of talk, thought and practice and connected to multiple pressures of both personal and professional experience. In doing so we demonstrate how, without any clear and shared understanding of what sustainability actually means, the concept creates a gap through which good intentions fall. An argument is put forward demonstrating that such a gap can be addressed by examining the interactions within the organisation to achieve an understanding of meanings assigned to sustainability and sustainable business practices in particular, and how these influence employee actions with regard to implementation to achieve sustainability. From the viewpoint of the oil and gas personnel interviewed, we discuss the benefits that are (or can be) obtained by these oil and gas organisations following the implementation of sustainable business practices. We finish the chapter with reflections on the extent to which sustainable development goals (SDGs) could (or should not) form some kind of shared measure and understanding of sustainability such that if sustainable business practices are aligned to the achievement of relevant SDGs, they might help facilitate a more meaningful move towards sustainability
Knee flexion range of motion does not influence muscle hypertrophy of the quadriceps femoris during leg press training in resistance-trained individuals. [Dataset]
No full textThe aim of this study was to examine the effects of knee flexion ROM during the leg press exercise on quadriceps femoris muscle hypertrophy in resistance-trained participants. The univariate analyses provided 'moderate' evidence in support of the null hypothesis, ATE estimates generally centred on zero and relatively tight credible intervals. Moreover, the multivariate analysis pooling similar data across the regions provided 'extreme' evidence in support of the null hypothesis (BF < 0.01). Additionally, within-condition analyses revealed small-to-medium improvements in muscle thickness, ranging from 1.08 mm to 1.91 mm across the assessed quadriceps regions, providing evidence of hypertrophic adaptations irrespective of knee flexion ROM differences. Consistency in results and relatively narrow credible intervals suggest that the methodological design and sample size were adequate to address the study aims
Sustainability and the civil engineering surveyor.
Get PDFThis paper critically reviews the application of sustainability in construction, with a focus on the civil engineering surveying profession. We explored the current landscape of sustainability and its interpretation in the context of civil engineering projects, assessed how organizations in the sector address it and identified key themes and necessary future steps. We administered a survey to establish the sustainability maturity level within civil engineering surveying organisations and conducted several workshops with commercial and geospatial surveyors to explore key themes. The findings emphasized the critical need for early engagement of civil engineering surveyors during procurement and initial project stages while staying updated with developments in the sustainability landscape. Sustainability competence and early involvement allow civil engineering surveyors to influence decisions that impact economic, environmental, and social sustainability. The findings also stressed the role of the government and the importance of sustainability regulations in driving the sustainability agenda forward
From performance to people: a salutogenic approach to retrofit assessment.
Get PDFThis paper presents a critical perspective on the limitation of current carbon-centric retrofit frameworks in the UK, advocating for the integration of psycho-social factors as essential metrics in assessing retrofit outcomes. Drawing on salutogenic theory of health promotion and adapting Maslow’s theory of needs to the housing context, it argues that safety, belonging, and meaning are fundamental human needs that the built environment must fulfil. Positioning the home as a core social construct and enabler of long-term coping, the paper proposes a theory-driven, human-centric approach to retrofit of homes, using qualitative data analysis of lived experience of a small number of individuals who reflect on their perception of their homes. The approach prioritises psycho-social dimensions of wellbeing, highlighting the importance of neighbourhood-scale evaluation and understanding of relational approaches to decision making. The paper is published in parallel Spanish and English
A systematic literature review on enhancing sarcasm detection in online reviews through emotional transition analysis and contextual embedding techniques.
Get PDFAnalysing online reviews is crucial for understanding user sentiments, yet sarcasm often hinders accurate sentiment evaluation. In this systematic literature review (SLR), we addressed the challenging task of sarcasm detection in online reviews, focusing on two key aspects: emotional transitions within reviews and the capabilities of contextual embedding techniques. Due to the context-sensitive and multifaceted nature of sarcasm, most traditional natural language processing (NLP) systems struggle to detect sentiment accurately. To identify sentiment shifts indicative of sarcasm, this systematic literature review (SLR) examines existing literature on emotion transitions within review texts. This review aims to illuminate the linguistic cues associated with sarcastic sentiment reversals. In order to identify these cues more effectively, we further explore the application of advanced contextual embedding models, such as BERT and ELMo, for their ability to detect and analyse sarcastic expressions. By synthesising these findings, we offer a comprehensive overview of current approaches to sarcasm detection in sentiment analysis. Additionally, this review critically analyses the limitations of existing methods and proposes potential avenues for improvement. We aim to explicate the effectiveness of sarcasm detection in sentiment analysis applications used on social media platforms like X (Twitter), Reddit, Facebook, and WeChat. In brief, this review provides valuable insights into the field of sentiment analysis and emotion detection, paving the way for the development of NLP systems with a refined ability to discern intricate emotional and contextual embedding in online reviews
Optimising public transport through the integration of micro and macro-level simulations.
No full textThe European Commission and the UK aim for net zero emissions in transportation by 2050. This work explores the potential of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) to support this goal by enhancing public transport (PT) via strategic deployment within optimised services. Macro-level mobility simulations integrating open data are coupled with meta-heuristic solvers to offer insight into optimal CAV route design while micro-level mobility simulations are used to increase the realism of generated solutions by providing insights on realistic travel speed variability in rush hour traffic across the considered study area. Results obtained with different solvers and two methods of transferring micro-level simulation insights to the macro-level service planning strategy indicate the potential for 3.0% to 38% average area-wide commuting time improvement when an optimised CAV service is added into the existing PT system
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