scholarly journals Quantifying the Benefits and Ecosystem Services Provided by Green Roofs—A Review

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 68
Author(s):  
Cuong Ngoc Nguyen ◽  
Nitin Muttil ◽  
Muhammad Atiq Ur Rehman Tariq ◽  
Anne W. M. Ng
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Services Research ◽  
Construction Techniques ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Water Sensitive Urban Design

Water-sensitive urban design (WSUD) has been widely used in cities to mitigate the negative consequences of urbanization and climate change. One of the WSUD strategies that is becoming popular is green roofs (GR) which offer a wide range of ecosystem services. Research on this WSUD strategy has been continuously increasing in terms of both quantity and quality. This paper presents a comprehensive review quantifying the benefits of GRs in papers published since 2010. More precisely, this review aims to provide up-to-date information about each GR benefit and how they have improved over the last decade. In agreement with previous reviews, extensive GRs were considerably researched, as compared to very limited studies on intensive and semi-intensive GRs. Each GR ecosystem service was specifically quantified, and an imbalance of GR research focus was identified, wherein urban heat- and runoff-related benefits were outstandingly popular when compared to other benefits. The results also highlight the recent introduction of hybrid GRs, which demonstrated improvements in GR performance. Furthermore, limitations of GRs, obstacles to their uptake, and inconsistent research findings were also identified in this review. Accordingly, opportunities for future research were pointed out in this review. This paper also recommends future studies to improve upon well-known GR benefits by exploring and applying more innovative GR construction techniques and materials. At the same time, further studies need to be undertaken on inadequately studied GR benefits, such as reduced noise and air pollution. In spite of the existence of reliable modelling tools, their application to study the effects of large-scale implementations of GRs has been restricted. Insufficient information from such research is likely to restrict large-scale implementations of GRs. As a result, further studies are required to transform the GR concept into one of the widely accepted and implemented WSUD strategies.

scholarly journals Foeniculum vulgareMill: A Review of Its Botany, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, Contemporary Application, and Toxicology

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shamkant B. Badgujar ◽  
Vainav V. Patel ◽  
Atmaram H. Bandivdekar
Keyword(s):  
Traditional Medicine ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Foeniculum Vulgare ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Valuable Compounds

Foeniculum vulgareMill commonly called fennel has been used in traditional medicine for a wide range of ailments related to digestive, endocrine, reproductive, and respiratory systems. Additionally, it is also used as a galactagogue agent for lactating mothers. The review aims to gather the fragmented information available in the literature regarding morphology, ethnomedicinal applications, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology ofFoeniculum vulgare. It also compiles available scientific evidence for the ethnobotanical claims and to identify gaps required to be filled by future research. Findings based on their traditional uses and scientific evaluation indicates thatFoeniculum vulgareremains to be the most widely used herbal plant. It has been used for more than forty types of disorders. Phytochemical studies have shown the presence of numerous valuable compounds, such as volatile compounds, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, fatty acids, and amino acids. Compiled data indicate their efficacy in severalin vitroandin vivopharmacological properties such as antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, antinociceptive, antipyretic, antispasmodic, antithrombotic, apoptotic, cardiovascular, chemomodulatory, antitumor, hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, and memory enhancing property.Foeniculum vulgarehas emerged as a good source of traditional medicine and it provides a noteworthy basis in pharmaceutical biology for the development/formulation of new drugs and future clinical uses.

scholarly journals Can benchmarking Australian hospitals for quality identify and improve high and low performers? Disseminating research findings for hospitals

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 84-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Hibbert ◽  
Faisal Saeed ◽  
Natalie Taylor ◽  
Robyn Clay-Williams ◽  
Teresa Winata ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Health Services Research ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Logic Model ◽  
Continuous Variables ◽  
Services Research ◽  
High Performer ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Multiple Domains ◽  
Selection Of

Abstract This paper examines the principles of benchmarking in healthcare and how benchmarking can contribute to practice improvement and improved health outcomes for patients. It uses the Deepening our Understanding of Quality in Australia (DUQuA) study published in this Supplement and DUQuA’s predecessor in Europe, the Deepening our Understanding of Quality improvement in Europe (DUQuE) study, as models. Benchmarking is where the performances of institutions or individuals are compared using agreed indicators or standards. The rationale for benchmarking is that institutions will respond positively to being identified as a low outlier or desire to be or stay as a high performer, or both, and patients will be empowered to make choices to seek care at institutions that are high performers. Benchmarking often begins with a conceptual framework that is based on a logic model. Such a framework can drive the selection of indicators to measure performance, rather than their selection being based on what is easy to measure. A Donabedian range of indicators can be chosen, including structure, process and outcomes, created around multiple domains or specialties. Indicators based on continuous variables allow organizations to understand where their performance is within a population, and their interdependencies and associations can be understood. Benchmarking should optimally target providers, in order to drive them towards improvement. The DUQuA and DUQuE studies both incorporated some of these principles into their design, thereby creating a model of how to incorporate robust benchmarking into large-scale health services research.

scholarly journals Taming the chaos: NHS professionals’ perspective of using video consulting during COVID-19 in Wales

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. e001318
Author(s):  
Gemma Johns ◽  
Sara Khalil ◽  
Mike Ogonovsky ◽  
Markus Hesseling ◽  
Allan Wardhaugh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
National Health Service ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Early Use ◽  
Observational Study Design ◽  
The Uk

The use of video consulting (VC) in the UK has expanded rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Technology Enabled Care (TEC) Cymru, the Welsh Government and Local Health boards began implementing the National Health Service (NHS) Wales VC Service in March 2020. This has been robustly evaluated on a large-scale All-Wales basis, across a wide range of NHS Wales specialities.AimsTo understand the early use of VC in Wales from the perspective of NHS professionals using it. NHS professionals were approached by TEC Cymru to provide early data.MethodsUsing an observational study design with descriptive methods including a cross-sectional survey, TEC Cymru captured data on the use, benefits and challenges of VC from NHS professionals in Wales during August and September 2020. This evidence is based on the rapid adoption of VC in Wales, which mirrors that of other nations.ResultsA total of 1256 NHS professionals shared their VC experience. Overall, responses were positive, and professionals expressed optimistic views regarding the use and benefit of VC, even when faced with challenges on occasions.ConclusionsThis study provides evidence of general positivity, acceptance and the success of the VC service in Wales. Future research studies will now be able to explore and evaluate the implementation methods used within this study, and investigate their effectiveness in being able to achieve better outcomes through VC.

scholarly journals Agile Transformation at Scale: A Tertiary Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 3-11
Author(s):  
Suddhasvatta Das ◽  
Kevin Gary
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Software Industry ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Agile Processes ◽  
Current State ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
State Of Research ◽  
Agile Software ◽  
Tertiary Study

AbstractDue to the fast-paced nature of the software industry and the success of small agile projects, researchers and practitioners are interested in scaling agile processes to larger projects. Agile software development (ASD) has been growing in popularity for over two decades. With the success of small-scale agile transformation, organizations started to focus on scaling agile. There is a scarcity of literature in this field making it harder to find plausible evidence to identify the science behind large scale agile transformation. The objective of this paper is to present a better understanding of the current state of research in the field of scaled agile transformation and explore research gaps. This tertiary study identifies seven relevant peer reviewed studies and reports research findings and future research avenues.

scholarly journals Principles and Characteristics of Different EDM Processes in Machining Tool and Die Steels

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 2082 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaber E. Abu Qudeiri ◽  
Aiman Zaiout ◽  
Abdel-Hamid I. Mourad ◽  
Mustufa Haider Abidi ◽  
Ahmed Elkaseer
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Removal Rate ◽  
Surface Characteristics ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Process Conditions ◽  
Process Performance ◽  
Die Steels ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Complex Shapes ◽  
Manufacturing Technologies

Electric discharge machining (EDM) is one of the most efficient manufacturing technologies used in highly accurate processing of all electrically conductive materials irrespective of their mechanical properties. It is a non-contact thermal energy process applied to a wide range of applications, such as in the aerospace, automotive, tools, molds and dies, and surgical implements, especially for the hard-to-cut materials with simple or complex shapes and geometries. Applications to molds, tools, and dies are among the large-scale initial applications of this process. Machining these items is especially difficult as they are made of hard-to-machine materials, they have very complex shapes of high accuracy, and their surface characteristics are sensitive to machining conditions. The review of this kind with an emphasis on tool and die materials is extremely useful to relevant professions, practitioners, and researchers. This review provides an overview of the studies related to EDM with regard to selection of the process, material, and operating parameters, the effect on responses, various process variants, and new techniques adopted to enhance process performance. This paper reviews research studies on the EDM of different grades of tool steel materials. This article (i) pans out the reported literature in a modular manner with a focus on experimental and theoretical studies aimed at improving process performance, including material removal rate, surface quality, and tool wear rate, among others, (ii) examines evaluation models and techniques used to determine process conditions, and (iii) discusses the developments in EDM and outlines the trends for future research. The conclusion section of the article carves out precise highlights and gaps from each section, thus making the article easy to navigate and extremely useful to the related research community.

scholarly journals Valuation of ecosystem services in a region: A review of the international experience

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 79-103
Author(s):  
Vera Yurak ◽  
Margarita Ignatyeva ◽  
Aleksey Dushin
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Ecosystem Approach ◽  
International Experience ◽  
Practical Significance ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Valuation Of Ecosystem Services ◽  
Theory Of Value

The paper aims to investigate the international experience of valuation and identification of ecosystem services. The theoretical and methodological basis of the research includes the theory of value and the ecosystem approach. The authors apply the dialectical method, logical abstraction, comparative analysis, grouping method, and the method of analogies. To build the hierarchy of ecosystem services and determine the most important ones in relation to soil and forest ecosystems statistical methods are implemented. The paper presents the results of the analysis of the key projects on valuation of ecosystem services in terms of content, scale and adopted methods; the identification of the most often valuated ecosystem services; and refined classification of ecosystem services and method for their evaluation. The practical significance of the research lies in the improvement of the economic mechanism of the regulation of natural resources management, which is meant to mitigate the negative consequences of climate change, what eventually will increase the probability of attaining the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The research findings form the basis for further formulation of the methodological recommendations about valuation of the ecosystem services in different physical-geographical zones.

scholarly journals Linking Information Sharing And Supplier Network Responsiveness With Delivery Dependability Of A Firm

2011 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashish A. Thatte ◽  
Vikas Agrawal ◽  
Shahnawaz Muhammed
Keyword(s):  
Information Sharing ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
First Century ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Delivery Performance ◽  
Research Findings

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">The twenty first century organization is required to provide accurate on time deliveries in addition to providing high quality products at low costs. This can be achieved if various processes within and between the organizations are streamlined and well defined. Several studies have indicated the significance of various manufacturing (or internal) practices that are instrumental in creating time-based competitive capability. Collaborative relations and information sharing practices with suppliers have long been believed to positively impact the responsiveness and delivery performance of organizations and supply chains. Responsive suppliers can play a key role in affecting a firm&rsquo;s own delivery performance. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp;</span>This research investigates and tests the relationships between information sharing practices of a firm, supplier network responsiveness, and delivery dependability of a firm. The large scale web-based survey yielded 294 responses from industry professionals in the manufacturing and supply chain area. The proposed relationships were tested using structural equation modeling. The research findings point out that higher level of information sharing practices can lead to improved supplier network responsiveness, and higher levels of supplier network responsiveness can have a direct positive impact on delivery dependability of a firm. The implications of our findings are discussed and directions for future research are provided.</span></span></p>

scholarly journals Impact of Housing Environment on the Immune System in Chickens: A Review

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanja Hofmann ◽  
Sonja S. Schmucker ◽  
Werner Bessei ◽  
Michael Grashorn ◽  
Volker Stefanski
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Allostatic Load ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Poultry Production ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Housing Environment ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

During their lifespan, chickens are confronted with a wide range of acute and chronic stressors in their housing environment that may threaten their welfare and health by modulating the immune system. Especially chronic stressful conditions can exceed the individual’s allostatic load, with negative consequences for immunity. A fully functional immune system is mandatory for health and welfare and, consequently, also for high productivity and safe animal products. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the impact of housing form, light regime as well as aerial ammonia and hydrogen sulfide concentrations on the immune system in chickens. Certain housing conditions are clearly associated with immunological alterations which potentially impair the success of vaccinations or affect disease susceptibility. Such poor conditions counteract sustainable poultry production. This review also outlines current knowledge gaps and provides recommendations for future research.

COVID-19 Pandemic: World Central Banks’ Reactions to Economic Downturn

2021 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 53-61
Author(s):  
V. Usoskin
Keyword(s):  
Monetary Policy ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Global Financial Crisis ◽  
Central Banks ◽  
Economic Downturn ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Current Economic Situation

Measures to mitigate the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic on households and businesses taken by Western governments in 2020 had serious negative consequences for the global economy. There was a widespread fall of production and trade, the closure of enterprises and stagnation of entire industries, sharp increase in unemployment, rise of uncertainty and risks. In an effort to slow the development of economic downturn the central banks and the Treasuries had taken wide range of monetary measures. Some of which were the continuation of the programs initiated during the period of global financial crisis of 2007–2009 and adapted to the current economic situation and the others represented new programs for the purchase of financial assets and granting credit facilities to enterprises and households. These actions, aimed primarily at the issue of additional quantities of money into the circulation, were distinguished by very large scale and high speed of decision-making. The author’s analysis led to a conclusion that the monetary policy during COVID 19 pandemic helped to stabilize financial markets, preserved the activities of a part of small and medium-sized enterprises and improved employment in the labor market. At the same time, massive “quantitative easing” operations increased the risk of financial instability and the likelihood of emerging of difficult-to-control inflationary spiral in Western economies. As to the achievement of strategic goals of monetary policy in the macroeconomic sphere, the success was much less noticeable due to the influence of many nonmonetary factors on the level of employment and the rate of economic growth.

scholarly journals Exploring industry priorities regarding customer satisfaction and implications for event evaluation

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dewi Jaimangal-Jones ◽  
Jonathan Fry ◽  
Claire Haven-Tang
Keyword(s):  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Consumer Satisfaction ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Evaluation Criteria ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Customer Satisfaction Evaluation ◽  
Satisfaction Evaluation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the priorities of event organisers (EOs) and venue managers (VM) in terms of evaluation criteria and avenues for advancing the development and implementation of banks of questions regarding customer satisfaction evaluation. Design/methodology/approach The results presented are based on a questionnaire distributed to a sample of EOs and VM which sought to identify their priorities with regard to customer satisfaction feedback. Findings The findings show that a significant proportion of respondents had never undertaken formal evaluation, citing time and resources as the key barriers. In addition, a wide range of satisfaction-related criteria were rated as important, with the most valued criteria often related to generalised areas, but failing to consider the motivations of individuals for event attendance, which also appears as a gap within evaluation literature. The research findings indicate that developing banks of evaluation questions is a complex task, due to the number of potential variables in terms of events and audiences. Originality/value In linking the priority areas identified by the respondents with evaluation literature and event attendee motivations, this paper proposes alternative ways of structuring and utilising banks of evaluation questions linked to attendee profiles and motivations. Its central premise is that evaluation of consumer satisfaction should be led by consumer motivations and expectations if it is to be viable, meaningful and aid future event development and enhancement. This raises many questions and avenues for future research, to progress the area of logistically feasible evaluation, which generates rich and meaningful data.

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