scholarly journals Aspects of geology in planning

1987 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. G. Bell ◽  
J. C. Cripps ◽  
M. G. Culshaw ◽  
M. O'Hara
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Development Plan ◽  
Financial Cost ◽  
Natural Systems ◽  
Natural Processes ◽  
Geological Information ◽  
Ground Conditions ◽  
Geological Factors ◽  
Cost Implications

AbstractThe planning of man’s environment is a complex operation which requires the interaction of many disciplines. Generally speaking, the physical development of society occurs by the implementation of a series of separate, but converging, aims which may be expressed in terms of, for instance, improvements to living conditions, public health or mobility. A development plan usually attempts to achieve these aims at minimum financial cost while reconciling many conflicting influences.So far as the use of land is concerned, since some land is inherently more suitable for some purposes than for others, there are clear cost implications in implementing a particular development plan and savings may be possible if the ground conditions are considered at an early stage. However, problems often arise with quantifying this cost due to a lack of appreciation of all the effects of a plan, including unexpected and undesirable ones.Since many natural systems pose threats to society, they should be taken into account during planning. The monetary costs may be less tangible, but security of life, disruption to production and destruction of property all reduce the well-being of society. Whether the causative hazards are the result of either planned or unplanned changes to the environment, or due to natural processes, they can only be successfully predicted or avoided if their mode of interaction with human activities is understood.In this paper the opportunity is taken to explore some of the more important geological factors which may significantly influence the planned use of land. Both natural and man-made geological hazards are considered. In addition, attention is given to the sources and interpretation of geological information in the context of planning.

Economic design of ground investigations for planning

1987 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Cripps ◽  
P. B. Attewell ◽  
J. P. Woodman
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Minimum Cost ◽  
Expected Loss ◽  
Planning Decisions ◽  
Site Investigations ◽  
Stage Of Development ◽  
Ground Conditions ◽  
Geotechnical Information ◽  
Cost Implications ◽  
The Cost

AbtractPlanning the development of an urban area is a complex operation in which many disparate objectives and constraints must be reconciled. An attempt is usually made to achieve particular aims at minimum cost. If geological and geotechnical factors are considered in isolation, then a particular structure will cost least to build in locations offering the most favourable ground conditions. Unfortunately, seldom is suitable geological and geotechnical information available at this early stage of development.The paper outlines a mechanism whereby reduction in the uncertainty about the ground conditions, achieved by carrying out site investigations work, may be related, through the application of simple probability theory, to a consequent expected loss caused by construction or maintenance. Thus in planning decisions a financial optimum can be identified in which the cost implications of ground investigations, construction and maintenance can be taken into account.

Current measures of distress may not account for what's most important in existential care interventions: Results of the outlook trial

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 648-657
Author(s):  
Karen E. Steinhauser ◽  
Karen M. Stechuchak ◽  
Katherine Ramos ◽  
Joseph Winger ◽  
James A. Tulsky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Primary Analysis ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Spiritual Well Being ◽  
Screening For Distress ◽  
Secondary Outcomes ◽  
Stage Renal Disease

AbstractObjectiveCompare the efficacy of two interventions addressing emotional and existential well-being in early life-limiting illness.MethodPrimary trial analysis (n = 135) included patients with advanced cancer, congestive heart failure, or end-stage renal disease; Arm 1 received the Outlook intervention, addressing issues of life completion and preparation, and Arm 2 received relaxation meditation (RM). Primary outcomes at five weeks (primary endpoint) and seven weeks (secondary): completion and preparation (QUAL-E); secondary outcomes: anxiety (POMS) quality of life (FACT-G) and spiritual well-being (FACIT-Sp) subscales of faith, meaning, and peace.ResultsAverage age was 62; 56% were post-high school-educated, 54% were married, 52% white, 44% female, and 70% had a cancer diagnosis. At baseline, participants demonstrated low levels of anxiety (<5 on POMS subscale) and depression (<10 on CESD) relative to population norms. Results of the primary analysis revealed no significant differences in mean Preparation by treatment arm at five weeks (14.4 Outlook vs. 14.8 RM; between-group difference −0.4 [95% CI, −1.6, 0.8], p = 0.49) or seven weeks (15.2 vs.15.4; between-group difference −0.2 [95% CI, −1.5, 1.0], p = 0.73). There were also no significant differences in mean Life Completion by treatment arm between five weeks (26.6 Outlook vs. 26.3 RM; between-group difference 0.2 [95% CI, −1.2, 1.7], p = 0.76) or seven weeks (26.5 vs. 27.5; between-group difference −1.0 [95% CI, −2.7, 0.7], p = 0.23). Compared to RM, Outlook participants did not have significant differences over time in the secondary outcomes of overall quality of life, anxiety, depression, FACT-G subscales, and FACIT-Sp subscales.DiscussionIn early-stage life-limiting illness, Outlook did not demonstrate a significant difference in primary or secondary outcomes relative to RM. Results underscore the importance of pre-screening for distress. Qualitatively, Outlook participants were able to express suppressed emotions, place illness context, reflect on adaptations, and strengthen identity. Screening for distress and identifying specified measures of distress, beyond anxiety and depression, is essential in our ability to adequately assess the multi-dimensional mechanisms that decrease existential suffering.

scholarly journals Evidence-Based Design in Architectural Education: Designing the First Maggie’s Centre in Israel

2021 ◽  
pp. 193758672110079
Author(s):  
Nirit Putievsky Pilosof ◽  
Yasha Jacob Grobman
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Architectural Design ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Architectural Education ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Architecture Education ◽  
The Impact

Objective The study examines the integration of the Evidence-based Design (EBD) approach in healthcare architecture education in the context of an academic design studio. Background Previous research addressed the gap between scientific research and architectural practice and the lack of research on the use of the EBD approach in architectural education. Methods The research examines an undergraduate architectural studio to design a Maggie’s Centre for cancer care in Israel and evaluates the impact of the EBD approach on the design process and design outcomes. The research investigates the impact of the integration of three predesign tasks: (1) literature review of healing architecture research, (2) analysis and comparison of existing Maggie’s Centres, and (3) analysis of the context of the design project. Results The literature review of scientific research supported the conceptual design and development of the projects. The analysis of existing Maggie’s centers, which demonstrated the interpretation of the evidence by different architects, developed the students’ ability to evaluate EBD in practice critically, and the study of the projects’ local context led the students to define the relevance of the evidence to support their vision for the project. Conclusions The research demonstrates the advantages of practicing EBD at an early stage in healthcare architectural education to enhance awareness of the impact of architectural design on the users’ health and well-being and the potential to support creativity and innovative design. More studies in design studios are needed to assess the full impact of integrating EBD in architectural education.

Groundwater Lowering for Construction of the Kilsby Tunnel – Geological and Geotechnical Interpretation

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Martin Preene ◽  
Mike Chrimes
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Flow ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Stress Theory ◽  
Glacial Origin ◽  
Buried Channel ◽  
Geological Information ◽  
Ground Conditions ◽  
Glacial Processes ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Groundwater Lowering

The Kilsby Tunnel, constructed in the 1830s, faced severe problems when a section of the tunnel, almost 400 m long, encountered unstable ‘quicksand’ conditions. The engineer for the project, Robert Stephenson, developed an extensive groundwater lowering scheme, unique for the time, using steam engines pumping from multiple shafts, to overcome the quicksand. Modern geological information indicates most of the tunnel was in Middle Lias bedrock, but the ‘quicksand’ section passed through a buried channel of water-bearing sand of glacial origin. In the early 19th century the impact of glacial processes on British geology was not widely accepted and, based on contemporary geological knowledge, Stephenson’s problems appear to be genuine unforeseen ground conditions, not predicted by his experienced advisers. It seems just random chance that trial borings missed the buried channel of sand. The work at Kilsby was two decades before Darcy’s law established the theoretical understanding for groundwater flow, and 90 years before Terzaghi’s effective stress theory described how reducing pore water pressures changed ‘quicksand’ into a stable and workable material. Despite the lack of existing theories, Stephenson used careful observations and interpretation of groundwater flow in the ‘quicksand’ to navigate the tunnel project to a successful conclusion.

scholarly journals Acting Instead of Reacting—Ensuring Employee Retention during Successful Introduction of i4.0

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 97
Author(s):  
Steffen C. Eickemeyer ◽  
Jan Busch ◽  
Chia-Te Liu ◽  
Sonia Lippke
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Software Tool ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
German Population ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Home Office ◽  
Negative Attitudes

The increasing implementation of digital technologies has various positive impacts on companies. However, many companies often rush into such an implementation of technological trends without sufficient preparation and pay insufficient attention to the human factors involved in digitization. This phenomenon can be exacerbated when these technologies become highly dependent, as during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to better understand challenges and to propose solutions for a successful implementation of digitized technology. A literature review is combined with survey results and specific consulting strategies. Data from the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany were collected by means of an online survey, with a representative sample of the German population. However, we did not reveal any correlation between home office and suffering, mental health, and physical health (indicators of digitization usage to cope with COVID-19 pandemic), but rather that younger workers are more prone to using digitized technology. Based on previous findings that older individuals tend to have negative attitudes toward digital transformation, appropriate countermeasures are needed to help them become more tech-savvy. Accordingly, a software tool is proposed. The tool can help the management team to manage digitization efficiently. Employee well-being can be increased as companies are made aware of necessary measures such as training for individuals and groups at an early stage.

Differences in Variability, Interactivity and Skills in Social Play of Young Chimpanzees Living in Peer Groups and in a Large Family Zoo Group

Behaviour ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 133 (9-10) ◽  
pp. 717-739 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan A.R.A.M. van HOOFF ◽  
Herman Dienske ◽  
Warner Jens ◽  
René P. Spijkerman
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Sex Role ◽  
Peer Group ◽  
Peer Groups ◽  
Large Family ◽  
Social Play ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Detailed Comparison ◽  
Partner Choice ◽  
The Social

AbstractThis paper provides a detailed comparison of play characteristics of chimpanzees raised in peer-only groups and in a socially complex semi-natural zoo situation. We expected play in peer groups to be of a lesser quality, that is less variable, interactive and skillful. To test this we quantified details such as the diversity of social play types, the bout length, the way social play is started, maintained and stopped and the use of play signals. The differences in play-type frequencies between the groups are most likely caused by differences in housing conditions and demographics; the smaller sex difference in peer group adolescents is most likely due to a limited partner choice. We found no indication that chimpanzees raised in peer groups played less diversely than those in the zoo. The social play characteristics of peer group and zoo chimpanzees are similar, except for the frequency of gnaws before wrestle and the frequency of play-faces within wrestle. Overall, there are no results from which we can conclude directly that chimpanzees isolated from their mother at an early stage and placed in a peer group are less capable in social play, although possibly it is more clear to the zoo individuals that a next interaction will be 'play'; zoo individuals may need less regular removal of ambiguity about the intention of the behaviour. The few differences between peer group and zoo in their social play characteristics that can be related to peer group rearing conditions indicate that the social development in those chimpanzees raised in peer groups is similar to that of chimpanzees in the semi-natural zoo. This is not to say that providing more natural conditions than is usually done in laboratories is unnecessary. These may still add considerably to the animals' well-being and in terms of animal welfare, it can be concluded that a variety of partners in the housing condition is beneficial to speed of sex-role development in young chimpanzees.

scholarly journals Household Diversity and the Impacts of COVID-19 on Families in Portugal

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rita Gouveia ◽  
Vasco Ramos ◽  
Karin Wall
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
Family Routines ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
The Social ◽  
Household Diversity ◽  
Probabilistic Sample ◽  
The Impact

Throughout the world, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted family routines, relationships, projects and sociability, threatening the health, income, social cohesion, and well-being of individuals and their families. Lockdown restrictions imposed during the first wave of the pandemic challenged the theories, concepts, and methods used by family sociologists and the intersecting fields of gender and social inequality. By restricting physical interactions to co-resident family members, the household regained a privileged role as a crucial social laboratory for studying the impact of COVID-19 on family life. The difficulties encountered by individuals in maintaining and dealing with close relationships across households and geographical borders, in a context in which relational proximity was discouraged by the public authorities, exposed the linked nature of family and personal relationships beyond the limits of co-residence. The main aim of this article is to investigate the social impacts of the pandemic on different types of households during the first lockdown at an early stage of the pandemic in Portugal. Drawing on an online survey applied to a non-probabilistic sample of 11,508 households between 25 and 29 March 2020, the authors combined quantitative and qualitative methods, including bi-variate inferential statistics, cluster analysis and in-depth case studies. The article distinguishes between different household types: solo, couple with and without children, extended, friendship, lone-parent families, and intermittent arrangements, such as shared custody. A cross-tabulation of the quantitative data with open-ended responses was carried out to provide a refined analysis of the household reconfigurations brought about during lockdown. The analysis showed how pre-existing unequal structural living conditions shaped the pathways leading to household reconfiguration as families sought to cope with restrictions on mobility, social distancing norms, and other lockdown measures. The findings stress that, in dealing with a crisis, multilevel welfare interventions need to be considered if governments are to cater to the differentiated social needs and vulnerabilities faced by individuals and families.

Quantification of ESG Regulations: A Cross-Country Benchmarking Analysis

2021 ◽  
pp. 097226292110541
Author(s):  
Monica Singhania ◽  
Neha Saini
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Financial Information ◽  
Social Awareness ◽  
Financial Disclosures ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
Economic Choices

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria mean investment in economic choices which, without interference with the environment, are intended to promote long-term economic and social well-being. Due to high environmental and social awareness, customers expect companies to devote time and efforts to such sustainable practices. This attitude has led to an overall rise in ESG disclosures and reporting instruments globally with a focus on influence of ESG disclosures on financial performance of companies. Many European countries have already introduced mandatory disclosure of non-financial information. This transition from voluntary to mandatory motivated other countries to adopt mandatory ESG disclosure practices for sustainable development. The practice of reporting non-financial disclosures has been rising due to several reasons, such as increasing visibility, informing customers, avoiding the risk associated with firm performance and achieving sustainability. Countries in the early stages of ESG disclosure need to understand the benchmark practices used by countries with a well-developed ESG system. For preparing the ESG disclosure index and benchmarking based on disclosure score, this study considers a set of developed and developing countries with their ESG disclosures. On the basis of ESG disclosures, the countries have been classified into four different categories. We found Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, United Kingdom, Belgium and France, to have high ESG scores and have been classified as Countries with Well-Developed ESG Framework. Germany, Italy, USA, Australia, Switzerland, Canada, Japan, Brazil and South Africa have medium to high ESG scores and fall under the category Rapidly improving ESG framework. While Singapore, India, China, Philippines, Malaysia and Argentina are categorized as countries with ESG framework at developing stage, Russia, Indonesia, Thailand, Nigeria and Vietnam are classified as Countries with early-stage framework due to low ESG scores.

Sustainability in Arid Grasslands: New Technology Applications for Management

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas K. Budge ◽  
Arian Pregenzer
Keyword(s):  
Human Impacts ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Natural Systems ◽  
Resource Sustainability ◽  
Technology Applications ◽  
Species Abundances ◽  
Ecosystem Studies ◽  
Grazing Systems ◽  
Arid Grasslands

As biodiversity, ecosystem function, and ecosystem services become more closely linked with human well-being at all scales, the study of ecology takes on increasing social, economic, and political importance. However, when compared with other disciplines long linked with human well-being, such as medicine, chemistry, and physics, the technical tools and instruments of the ecologist have generally lagged behind those of the others. This disparity is beginning to be overcome with the increasing use of biotelemetric techniques, microtechnologies, satellite and airborne imagery, geographic information systems (GIS), and both regional and global data networks. We believe that the value and efficiency of ecosystem studies can advance significantly with more widespread use of existing technologies, and with the adaptation of technologies currently used in other disciplines to ecosystem studies. More importantly, the broader use of these technologies is critical for contributing to the preservation of biodiversity and the development of sustainable natural resource use by humans. The concept of human management of biodiversity and natural systems is a contentious one. However, we assert that as human population and resource consumption continue to increase, biodiversity and resource sustainability will only be preserved by increasing management efforts—if not of the biodiversity and resources themselves, then of human impacts on them. The technologies described in this chapter will help enable better management efforts. In this context, biodiversity refers not only to numbers of species (i.e., richness) in an arbitrarily defined area, but also to species abundances within that area. Sustainability refers to the maintenance of natural systems, biodiversity, and resources for the benefit of future generations. Arid-land grazing systems support human social systems and economies in regions all over the world, and can be expected to play increasingly critical roles as human populations increase. Further, grazing systems represent a nexus of natural and domesticated systems. In these systems, native biodiversity exists side by side with introduced species and populations, and in fact can benefit from them.

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