276 research outputs found
Literature, Rhetorical Devices, and Juridical Imagination: A Symbiotic Dynamic
No full textLiterature has long been held as a powerful medium by which the world can be perceived through aesthetic forms of rending. Literary devices have often been deployed as vehicles of meaning outside their original contexts and one key instance of this practice is the area of legal doctrine. Detailed analysis of legal practice illustrates the deeply ingrained aesthetic nature of the area that relies heavily on literary tropes that are frequently applied in the service of authority and reason. Imagistic language and literary devices remains a central driving force in the creation and expression of legal principle and key concepts it relies upon to effect its judgements and decisions. This text seeks to explore and illustrate the manner and means of how this relationship has developed in certain contexts dating back a number of centuries to a time when important legal concepts where first being developed and which required the imaginative use of language to ensure their coming into being was as effective as possible. Certain rhetorical devices in this context are thus explored to illustrate their nature and impact. 
Predicting adherence to antiretroviral therapy and retention to HIV care : effects of baseline biopsychosocial status and neuropsychological functioning
No full textThese drugs have demonstrated efficacy in improving immune function and reducing HIV-related morbidity and mortality, and while a cure is not available, patients on treatment may live longer, healthier lives. However, early optimism has been tempered by the growing recognition that meticulous adherence is a prerequisite for optimal clinical response and prevention of drug resistance
Hoogwater 2021: Feiten en Duiding
No full textIn juli 2021 zijn grote delen van Limburg getroffen door hevige regenval en overstromingen. Ook delen van België en Duitsland overstroomden met zeer veel schade en verlies aan mensenlevens tot gevolg. Dit betrof een extreme en ongeëvenaarde gebeurtenis met enorme impact. Daarom is naar aanleiding van de overstromingen deze verkenning uitgevoerd om een eerste stap te maken om beschikbare informatie over deze gebeurtenis te verzamelen en analyseren. Het onderzoek is uitgevoerd door een breed consortium (TU Delft, Deltares, HKV Lijn in Water, VU Amsterdam, Universiteit Utrecht, KNMI, WUR, Erasmus MC en Universiteit Twente) in opdracht van het Expertise Netwerk Waterveiligheid (ENW). Een overstroming heeft effect op de hele maatschappij. Daarom zijn niet alleen hydrologische en civieltechnische onderwerpen beschouwd, maar ook de maatschappelijke gevolgen van overstromingen, de crisisrespons en de gezondheidseffecten.Contributors (in alphabetical order): Nathalie Asselman (Deltares), Hermjan Barneveld (HKV / Wageningen UR), Jules Beersma (KNMI), Eline Boelee (Deltares), Wouter Botzen (VU Amsterdam), Eefke Copper (TU Delft), Dim Coumou (KNMI), Karin de Bruijn (Deltares), Anniek de Jong (Deltares), Jurjen de Jong (Deltares), Hans de Moel (VU Amsterdam), Ferdinand Diermanse (Deltares), Astrid Fischer (Evides) , Gert-Jan Geerling (Deltares), Marie-Louise Geurts (WML), Rob Groenland (KNMI), Mark Hegnauer (Deltares), Bas Jonkman (TU Delft), Nicole Jungermann (KNMI), Frans Klijn (Deltares), Andre Koelewijn (Deltares), Matthijs Kok (HKV / TU Delft), Elco Koks (VU Amsterdam), Bas Kolen (HKV / TU Delft), Marion Koopmans (Erasmus MC), Laurens Leunge (Deltares), Hans Middelkoop (Utrecht University), Roelof Moll (TU Delft), Jaap Mos (Dunea), Sjoukje Philip (KNMI), Gerbert Pleijter (HKV), Joost Pol (HKV / TU Delft), Stephan Rikkert (TU Delft), Guus Rongen (TU Delft), Rinus Scheele (KNMI), Julius Schlumberger (TU Delft), Peter Siegmund (KNMI), Kymo Slager (Deltares), Frederiek Sperna Weiland (Deltares), Bart Strijker (HKV / TU Delft), Henk v.d. Brink (KNMI), Janko van Beek (Erasmus MC), Marion van den Bulk (TU Delft), Bart van den Hurk (Deltares), Tim van Emmerik (Wageningen UR), Kees van Ginkel (VU Amsterdam / Deltares), Mick van Haren (TU Delft), Margreet van Marle (Deltares), Malou van Schaijk (TU Delft), Dennis Wagenaar (Nanyang TU), Davide Wüthrich (TU Delft)Hydraulic Structures and Flood RiskSafety and Security ScienceCoastal Engineerin
Testing Business Model Innovation Tooling for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises: A Multiple Case Study on the Business Model Stress Test
No full textPurposeTechnology on itself does not have a standalone value. Value is allocated by the business model that is used to bring it to the market. A business model describes the value creation and capture mechanisms of the firm. In a dynamic world, businesses face potential disruption when confronted with trends like servitization, digitation, Internet-of-Things, or changing consumer behaviour and competitive pressure. This makes that managers and business owners in all kinds of industries are increasingly forced to innovate their business models. To support managers and business owners in understanding business models and the innovation thereof, tooling has been developed, for instance to assist in mapping a business model, or helping in the transition from an old existing one, to a new business model. However, most of the tooling has been developed based on what large corporations to; it has not been developed in the context of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Considering the fact that 99,8 % of the enterprises in the European Union are SMEs, and that they combined employ almost two third of the working force, business model innovation tooling is just as relevant in its link with SMEs as in its link with large corporations. Secondly, tooling has rarely been tested by independent researchers. As a consequence, it is unknown how business model innovation tooling, designed for SMEs, is used in a natural setting without direct involvement of the developer. Moreover, it is known that the BMI literature stream emerged from e-businesses. Therefore, it is argued that BMI literature, and consequently BMI tooling, is better applicable to companies from that sector. The purpose of this study is to test business model innovation tooling with SMEs, without direct involvement of the original developers. In addition, cases are selected from two dissimilar sectors: e-business and non e-business. To materialize this research, the business model stress test tool is chosen. This tool allows businesses to assess the robustness of their business model, under influence of certain future trends. Results from using the tool are insights in vulnerable business model components, and actions aimed at increasing the robustness. In this context, robustness is defined as the long-term feasibility and viability of the business model.Based on the literature, it is expected that tooling in general leads to business model experiments. These experiments in turn allow for new insights in the robustness of a business model to be generated. Eventually, those insights are turned into actions, that are aimed at improving the business model robustness. On the long term, actions should be successful in the realization of this goal. Also, barriers are identified in the literature, which could hamper the juncture of the identified steps. Barriers lie outside of the influence of the researcher and include market uncertainty, entrenching, reluctance to change, dominant logic, cognitive capability, bounded rationality, company leadership, etc.Research design The stress test tooling has been developed, and is later tested under guidance of one of the developers. Now, this tool is ready for testing by an individual researcher. The research questions questioned in this study is How does the business model stress test contribute to improving the robustness of a business model? This question refers to both if and how the tooling results in an improved robustness. To answer this research question, a qualitative multiple case design is chosen, which follows a combination of actions design research principles, and a traditional case study approach. The stress test is used in a workshop setting with four different case companies from both the marine (as a representation of non e-businesses) and ICT industry (as a representation of e-businesses). Workshops are facilitated by experienced creative facilitators, and took place at an external location. Participants included a group of 3 – 6 employees of the case company, with varying backgrounds. During the workshop, instructions of the stress test itself as designed by the developers are followed. However, for the purpose of this research some intermediate steps were added. During the workshops, the research observed the group and took notes. Apart from the observations, data was also obtained from the results of the workshop, sound recordings of the evaluation afterwards, and two questionnaires that were held with the participants both before and after the workshop. Findings Major findings of this study include that business model innovation tooling indeed leads to thought experiments, which in turn results in insights, which results in actions to improve robustness. If eventually the robustness of the company increases cannot be concluded based on this research. A longitudinal study should be held to further investigate the long-term results of this tooling.During the workshops, the following barriers were found to be present: bounded rationality, cognitive capability, company leadership, dominant logic, organizational culture, and entrenchment. Also, disturbing factors were identified, which include: the role of the researcher and the creative facilitator, focus and involvement of the participants, group composition, incorrect use of the tooling, and the inability of participants to express their opinion. Within the results of the tested hypothesis, and the identified barriers and disturbing factors, no differences were found between e-businesses and non e-businesses. Based on this research, many recommendations are given on how to improve the business model stress test. Apart from that, also general recommendations are given for designers of tooling. It was concluded that guidance is an important driver of results when using tooling. Guiding of both an experience facilitator and guiding questions are very important to establish the goal of the tooling. Practical Implications In this instance, it was observed that the stress test allows manager of technology to be aware of technological trends, before it’s too late. This tool, but also tooling in general allows for a structured process through which insights at various levels of the company can be gained. In that sense, it can be put to work to increase internal support for changing and adapting business model in a dynamic and competitive environment. Originality and Value The novelty of the study lies in the testing of BM tooling in a real-life setting without the involvement of the developer of the tooling. Based on the literature it was found that this is hardly done to date. Management of Technology (MoT
Mental physicians and their patients : Psychological medicine in the English pauper lunatic asylums of the later nineteenth century.
No full textThe objective of this thesis is to examine the pauper lunatic
asylums of later Victorian England and assess the value of the
psychological medicine which was carried on there. Broadly, it
asks psychiatric, rather than strictly historical, questions in
that it considers the benefits accruing to individual patients as
being of central importance, whilst also evaluating the advantages
gained by the medical profession and by outside society.
After an introductory chapter there follows an analysis of
medical theory on insanity. This considers the function of theory
and assesses its usefulness in handling the problems posed by those
labelled "insane". The third chapter analyses theories of treatment. It looks first at somatic therapies - electricity, showers
and drugs - then considers what "moral treatment" had by then become,
concluding with an overall interpretation of therapy in this period.
In the section examining psychological medicine in practice,
the first chapter is a reconstruction of asylum function using
asylum admission registers. It shows mortality, lengths-of-stay,
proportions of cures and so on according to various factors. Some
analysis of patients' problems is also attempted. The following
chapter pursues this theme with a study of asylum life as it affected
the patient and, by implication, his or her course of treatment.
The last section sets psychological medicine in its social contexts, first of professionalisation, with the advantages accruing to
doctors and attendants and the conditions under which this branch of
medicine operated, then of social provision. Asylums were supported
by county rates and their patients by the Poor Law authorities and
their influence on the enterprise is considered.
It concludes that psychological medicine was self-defeating in
its own terms because of the dominative nature of the relationship
between the asylum and the patients. The perception of the patient
as individual sufferer was occluded by a perception of him or her as
social deviant. Thus the essential ingredient of the restoration of
"
normal" self-control - that the "self" be known and its needs recognised - was absent. The alternative to restoration, continued
incarceration, was nevertheless socially acceptable and so persisted
Book Reviews
No full textBook Review 1Book Title: Megaherbivores: the influence of very large body size on ecologyBook Author: R.N. Owen-SmithCambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1988. 369 pages.Book Review 2Book Title: Comparative Physiology of the Vertebrate KidneyBook Author: W.H. Dantzler Springer-Verlag 1989.198 pp. (Hardcover).Book Review 3Book Title: Atlas on the Biology of Soil ArthropodsBook Authors: G. Esenbeis & W. Wichard Springer-Verlag, Berlin 1987. 437 pp.Book Review 4Book Title: Primate Vocal CommunicationBook Authors: Edited by D. Todt, P. Goedeking & D. SymmesSpringer Verlag, Berlin (1988)Book Review 5Book Title: The Honey BeeBook Authors: J.L. Gould & C. G. GouldScientific American Ubrary, W.H.Freeman, New York. 239 pp.Book Review 6Book Title: Insect Development Photoperiodic and Temperature ControlBook Author: Victor A. ZaslavskiSpringer-Verlag, Berlin. 187 pp.Book Review 7Book Title: OrganellesBook Author: Mark CarrollMacmillan 1989. 202 pp.Book Review 8Book Title: Comparative Protozoology Ecology, Physiology, Life HistoryBook Author: O. Roger AndersonSpringer-Verlag, Berlin, 1988. 482pp.Book Review 9Book Title: Ecotoxicology: Problems and ApproachesBook Authors: Edited by S.A. Levin, M.A. Harwell, J.R. Kelly & K.D. KimballSpringer Verlag, New York. 547 pp
Simulation studies of the imaging atmospheric cherenkov technique using the Durham mark 6 and H.E.S.S. stand-alone telescopes
No full textThe subject of this thesis is the simulation study of the development of extensive air show ers produced by very high energy gamma-ray and hadronic cosmic rays with respect to the Cherenkov light they produce, and its imaging in ground based telescopes. Chapters 1-4 are introductory: Chapter 1 covers the mechanisms responsible for the production of very high energy gamma-rays, whereas, chapter 2 focusses on the development of extensive air showers and Cherenkov light production. Chapter 3 covers the instrumentation used to measure the Cherenkov light using the imaging atmospheric Cherenkov technique. Chapter 4 covers known and possible sources of very high energy gamma-rays. Chapters 5, 6 and 7 cover research performed by the author: Chapter 5 discusses some of the differences between three popular extensive air shower simulations codes, namely ALTAI, CORSIKA and MOCCA. Chapter 6 details the simulation of the response of two ground based imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope (the Durham Mark 6 and stand-alone H.E.S.S. telescopes), and in particular details the derivation of the flux of the x-ray selected BL-LAC PKS 2155-304 with the Durham Mark 6 telescope. This represents the refinement of a published measurement given an improved telescope simulation. The significance of the signal seen is 6.8o, and the integral flux derived above 1.5 TeV (assuming a differential spectral slope of-2.6) is {2.5±0.7stat ± (^0.5)(_1.6syst) x 10(^-7) photons m(^-2) s(^-1) Chapter 7 discusses the importance of the atmosphere, and the results of shower simulations under different atmospheric assumptions are presented, which indicate the importance of atmospheric calibration for the new generation of Cherenkov telescopes. The results of this chapter suggest that to first order large changes in the low level aerosol concentration have a much more significant effect on the trigger rate of a stand-alone H.E.S.S. telescope, than on the Hillas parameter distributions seen. Chapter 8 brings together the work done in this thesis, and highlights a final set of fluxes for the active galactic nuclei sources seen with the Durham Mark 6 telescope, many of which will form future sources to be measured with the H.E.S.S. system. The current status of the stand-alone H.E.S.S. system is also covered in chapter 8. The thesis concludes with a further brief discussion of the future prospects for imaging atmospheric Cherenkov astronomy
First Measurements of Trojan Horse Injection in a Plasma Wakefield Accelerator
No full textPlasma accelerators support accelerating fields of 100's of GV/m over meter-scale distances and routinely produce femtosecond-scale, multi-kA electron bunches. The so called Trojan Horse underdense photocathode plasma wakefield acceleration scheme combines state-of-the-art accelerator technology with laser and plasma methods and paves the way to improve beam quality as regards emittance and energy spread by many orders of magnitude. Electron beam brightness levels exceeding 10²⁰ Am⁻² rad⁻² may be reached, and the tunability allows for multi-GeV energies, designer bunches and energy spreads <0.05% in a single plasma accelerator stage. The talk will present results of the international E210 multi-year experimental program at SLAC FACET, which culminated in successful first demonstration of the Trojan Horse method during FACET's final experimental run in 2016. Enabling implications for applications, including high performance plasma-based 5th generation light sources such as hard x-ray FEL's, for which start-to-end simulations are presented, and for high energy physics are discussed
The impact of future sea-level rise on the global tides
No full textTides are a key component in coastal extreme water levels. Possible changes in the tides caused by mean sea-level rise (SLR) are therefore of importance in the analysis of coastal flooding, as well as many other applications. We investigate the effect of future SLR on the tides globally using a fully global forward tidal model: OTISmpi. Statistical comparisons of the modelled and observed tidal solutions demonstrate the skill of the refined model setup with no reliance on data assimilation. We simulate the response of the four primary tidal constituents to various SLR scenarios. Particular attention is paid to future changes at the largest 136 coastal cities, where changes in water level would have the greatest impact.Spatially uniform SLR scenarios ranging from 0.5 to 10 m with fixed coastlines show that the tidal amplitudes in shelf seas globally respond strongly to SLR with spatially coherent areas of increase and decrease. Changes in the M2 and S2 constituents occur globally in most shelf seas, whereas changes in K1 and O1 are confined to Asian shelves. With higher SLR tidal changes are often not proportional to the SLR imposed and larger portions of mean high water (MHW) changes are above proportional. Changes in MHW exceed ±10% of the SLR at ~10% of coastal cities. SLR scenarios allowing for coastal recession tend increasingly to result in a reduction in tidal range. The fact that the fixed and recession shoreline scenarios result mainly in changes of opposing sign is explained by the effect of the perturbations on the natural period of oscillation of the basin. Our results suggest that coastal management strategies could influence the sign of the tidal amplitude change. The effect of a spatially varying SLR, in this case fingerprints of the initial elastic response to ice mass loss, modestly alters the tidal response with the largest differences at high latitudes
- …
