scholarly journals Resolving issues concerning Eskdalemuir geomagnetic hourly values

2011 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 283-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Macmillan ◽  
E. Clarke

Abstract. The hourly values of the geomagnetic field from 1911 to 1931 derived from measurements made at Eskdalemuir observatory in the UK, and available online from the World Data Centre for Geomagnetism at http://www.wdc.bgs.ac.uk/, have now been corrected. Previously they were 2-point averaged and transformed from the original north, east and vertical down values in the tables in the observatory yearbooks. This paper documents the course of events from discovering the post-processing done to the data to the final resolution of the problem. As it was through the development of a new index, the Inter-Hour Variability index, that this post-processing came to light, we provide a revised series of this index for Eskdalemuir and compare it with that from another European observatory. Conclusions of studies concerning long-term magnetic field variability and inferred solar variability, whilst not necessarily consistent with one another, are not obviously invalidated by the incorrect hourly values from Eskdalemuir. This series of events illustrates the challenges that lie ahead in removing any remaining errors and inconsistencies in the data holdings of different World Data Centres.

2006 ◽  
Vol 24 (12) ◽  
pp. 3411-3419 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Martini ◽  
K. Mursula

Abstract. We study here the recently proposed measure of local geomagnetic activity called the IHV (Inter-Hour Variability) index calculated for the Eskdalemuir (ESK) station. It was found earlier that the ESK IHV index depicts an artificial, step-like increase from 1931 to 1932. We show here that this increase is due to the fact that the values of the magnetic field components of the ESK observatory stored at the World Data Center are two-hour running averages of hourly data stored in ESK yearbooks. Two-hour averaging greatly reduces the variability of the data which leads to artificially small values of the IHV index in 1911–1931. We also study the effect of two-hour averaging upon hourly mean and spot values using 1-minute data available for recent years, and calculate the correction factors for the early years, taking into account the weak dependence of correction factors on solar activity. Using these correction factors, we correct the ESK IHV indices in 1912–1931, and revise the estimate of the centennial change based on them. The effect of correction is very significant: the centennial increase in the ESK IHV-raw (IHV-cor) index in 1912–2000 changes from 73.9% (134.4%) before correction to 10.3% (25.3%) thereafter, making the centennial increase at ESK quite similar to other mid-latitude stations. Obviously, earlier long-term studies based on ESK IHV values are affected by the correction and need to be revised. These results also strongly suggest that the ESK yearbook data should be digitized and the hourly ESK data at WDC should be replaced by them.


2014 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 311-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
KAYLEIGH GARTHWAITE ◽  
CLARE BAMBRA ◽  
JONATHAN WARREN ◽  
ADETAYO KASIM ◽  
GRAEME GREIG

AbstractThe UK social security safety net for those who are out of work due to ill health or disability has experienced significant change, most notably the abolition of Incapacity Benefit (IB) and the introduction of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). These changes have been underpinned by the assumption that many recipients are not sufficiently sick or disabled to ‘deserve’ welfare benefits – claims that have been made in the absence of empirical data on the health of recipients. Employing a unique longitudinal and mixed-methods approach, this paper explores the health of a cohort of 229 long-term IB recipients in the North East of England over an eighteen-month period, during a time of significant changes to the UK welfare state. In-depth interviews with twenty-five of the survey cohort are also presented to illustrate the lived experiences of recipients. Contributing to debates surrounding the conceptualisation of work-readiness for sick and disabled people, findings indicate IB recipients had significantly worse health than the general population, with little change in their health state over the eighteen-month study period. Qualitative data reinforced the constancy of ill health for IB recipients. Finally, the paper discusses the implications for social policy, noting how the changing nature of administrative definitions and redefinitions of illness and capacity to work can impact upon the lives of sick and disabled people.


Author(s):  
Theo Thiadens ◽  
Marko Dorenbos ◽  
Andries Kasper ◽  
Anda Counoutte-Potman

The conclusion of this chapter is that in the year 2009, the norms in this field are not yet fully present; that by making use of these norms in procurement, buyers will be able to arrive at more sustainable ICT; that from the current situation, consolidation alone could without any problem, enable achievement of the long-term agreement between the Dutch ICT trade organization and the Dutch government, an agreement in which over a period of 25 years starting in 2005, 2% less energy should be used every year; that every data centre needs to map its energy consumption and sustainability systematically, and that in 2009, over 50% over the annually installed ICT equipment in the Netherlands is recycled.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-14
Author(s):  
Triya Chakravorty

The UK is in a state of change, from the political scene, to the climate crisis, to the technological revolution. These factors will not only change the world that we live in, but also our healthcare system. We are on the cusp of a new era for the NHS, and as a medical student, this novel NHS will be the one that I will work in. Naturally, this makes me wonder what this new NHS will look like, and what these changes will mean for medical students.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Flora Douglas ◽  
Emma MacIver ◽  
Chris Yuill

Abstract Background As more people are living with one or more chronic health conditions, supporting patients to become activated, self-managers of their conditions has become a key health policy focus both in the UK and internationally. There is also growing evidence in the UK that those with long term health conditions have an increased risk of being food insecure. While international evidence indicates that food insecurity adversely affects individual’s health condition management capability, little is known about how those so affected manage their condition(s) in this context. An investigation of lived experience of health condition management was undertaken with food insecure people living in north east Scotland. The study aimed to explore the challenges facing food insecure people in terms of, i. their self-care condition management practices, and ii. disclosing and discussing the experience of managing their condition with a health care professional, and iii. notions of the support they might wish to receive from them. Methods Twenty in-depth interviews were conducted with individuals attending a food bank and food pantry in north east Scotland. Interview audio recordings were fully transcribed and thematically analysed.Results Individuals reporting multiple physical and mental health conditions, took part in the study. Four main themes were identified i.e.: 1. food practices, trade-offs and compromises, that relate to economic constraints and lack of choice; 2. illness experiences and food as they relate to physical and mental ill-health; 3. (in)visibility of participants’ economic vulnerability within health care consultations; and 4. perceptions and expectations of the health care system.Conclusions This study, the first of its kind in the UK, indicated that participants’ health condition management aspirations were undermined by the experience of food insecurity, and that their health care consultations in were, on the whole, devoid of discussions of those challenges. As such, the study indicated practical and ethical implications for health care policy, practice and research associated with the risk of intervention-generated health inequalities that were suggested by this study. Better understanding is needed about the impact of household food insecurity on existing ill health, wellbeing and health care use across the UK.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Flora Douglas ◽  
Emma MacIver ◽  
Chris Yuill

Abstract Background: As more people are living with one or more chronic health conditions, supporting patients to become activated, self-managers of their conditions has become a key health policy focus both in the UK and internationally. There is also growing evidence in the UK that those with long term health conditions have an increased risk of being food insecure. While international evidence indicates that food insecurity adversely affects individual’s health condition management capability, little is known about how those so affected manage their condition(s) in this context. An investigation of lived experience of health condition management was undertaken with food insecure people living in north east Scotland. The study aimed to explore the challenges facing food insecure people in terms of, i. their self-care condition management practices, and ii. disclosing and discussing the experience of managing their condition with a health care professional, and iii. notions of the support they might wish to receive from them. Methods : Twenty in-depth interviews were conducted with individuals attending a food bank and food pantry in north east Scotland. Interview audio recordings were fully transcribed and thematically analysed.Results : Individuals reporting multiple physical and mental health conditions, took part in the study. Four main themes were identified i.e.: 1. food practices, trade-offs and compromises, that relate to economic constraints and lack of choice; 2. illness experiences and food as they relate to physical and mental ill-health; 3. (in)visibility of participants’ economic vulnerability within health care consultations; and 4. perceptions and expectations of the health care system.Conclusions : This study, the first of its kind in the UK, indicated that participants’ health condition management aspirations were undermined by the experience of food insecurity, and that their health care consultations in were, on the whole, devoid of discussions of those challenges. As such, the study indicated practical and ethical implications for health care policy, practice and research associated with the risk of intervention-generated health inequalities that were suggested by this study. Better understanding is needed about the impact of household food insecurity on existing ill health, wellbeing and health care use across the UK.


Author(s):  
Miguel Poblete-Cazenave

AbstractThe COVID19 pandemic has created a massive shock, unexpectedly increasing mortality levels and generating economic recessions all around the world. In recent years, several efforts have been made to develop models that link the environment, population and the economy which may be used to estimate potential longer term effects of the pandemic. Unfortunately, many of the parameters used in these models lack appropriate empirical identification. In this study, first I estimate the parameters of “Wonderland”, a system dynamics model of the population-economy-environment nexus, and posteriorly, add external GDP and mortality shocks to the model. The estimated parameters are able to closely match world data, while future simulations point, on average and regardless of the COVID19 pandemic, to a world reaching dangerous environmental levels in the following decades, in line with consensus forecasts. On the other hand, the effects of the pandemic on the economy are highly uncertain and may last for several decades.


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