Partakers with the Altar

Contrary to prevalent assumptions, city magistracies did not simply pay for the upkeep of the churches used by the Dutch Reformed church. Based on the archives of churchwardens for the eleven public churches of Amsterdam, this article shows that for about a century between 1650 and 1750 the churches paid for themselves, how this was possible, and why they eventually came to rely municipal subsidies. After the devastations wrought by Revolt and Reformation, the buildings were refurnished in a luxurious style, befitting the prestige of the city. Burgomasters imposed a seating arrangement that, maintained by a variety of church attendants, reflected the hierarchical order of society. The biographical background and the work of these attendants provide a window into the ritual of churchgoing. During the heyday of Amsterdam’s prosperity people were happy to pay or the services the churches provided, including the display of rank and dignity. Economic decline, critique of the established social order, and changing religious sensibilities undercut this source of funding. The report of an auditing committee, analysing the administration of churchwardens in 1795 and 1796, testifies to the difficulties even the staunchest Batavian revolutionaries experienced when rethinking early modern public finances.

A dramaturgical analysis of a paediatric team handover

Introduction: The paediatric team handover process is a crucial workplace practice and comprises the transfer of patient information from one shift to another involving medical professionals and students. A qualitative study was performed to analyse the feasibility, functionality, benefits and limitations of the dramaturgical approach when applied to examining a handover session. Methods: Data relating to one handover were collected and analysed from video and audio recordings, notes created by two independent observers and a de-identified copy of the handover sheet. Results: The dramaturgical constructs and subsequent findings allowed us to make informed inferences about the dynamics of the handover procedure. The directors/lead actors consisted of a consultant and a registrar. One consultant was transitory and the remaining 12 attendees were either major support, support or bit actors. The students (bit actors/audience) were included when a learning point was emphasised. The script was informal and improvised as the discussion emphasised certain facets of patient care or accentuated learning points. The staging involved the seating arrangement, a whiteboard, computer screen and ongoing data presentation. The performance suggested a handover of two halves: one emphasising learning and the other allocation of patient care responsibility. Conclusion: We concluded that the real-life drama occurring within a handover was feasibly analysed, with its functionality demonstrated, using the dramaturgical investigative system. The multifaceted recordings enabled researchers to review the ‘authentic’ handover system without censorship. These findings have implications for educational and organisational research.

A Computational Framework for Transmission Risk Assessment of Aerosolized Particles in Classrooms

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has rendered confined spaces as high-risk areas. There is an increasing push to resume in-person activities, for instance, teaching in K-12 and university settings. It becomes important to evaluate the risk of airborne disease transmission while accounting for the physical presence of humans, furniture, and electronic equipment, as well as ventilation. Here, we present a computational framework based on detailed flow physics simulations that allows straightforward evaluation of various seating and operating scenarios to identify risk factors and assess the effectiveness of various mitigation strategies. These scenarios include seating arrangement changes, presence/absence of computer screens, ventilation rate changes, and presence/absence of mask-wearing. This approach democratizes risk assessment by automating a key bottleneck in simulation-based analysis--creating an adequately refined mesh around multiple complex geometries. Not surprisingly, we find that wearing masks (with at least 74% inward protection efficiency) significantly reduced transmission risk against unmasked and infected individuals. The availability of such an analysis approach will allow education administrators, government officials (courthouses, police stations), and hospital administrators to make informed decisions on seating arrangements and operating procedures.

Effectiveness of Visual Merchandising on Consumer Buying Behaviour: A Study of Reliance Digital, Puttur, DK

Purpose: In this networked world, the buyer's purchase decisions are influenced by the arrangement and presentation of items in the store. Nowadays, the furniture and furnishing types have become more viable in the retail industry. Many new businesses are entering into the organized format of retail in this category. Hence the retailers need to differentiate themselves from each other. As the products are similar, it is necessary to differentiate themselves by presenting them with visual merchandising. Objective: The core objective of this work is to study the influence of visual merchandising on consumer purchase patterns based on store attributes. Another objective of this study is to know the dimensions which influence the purchase behavior or decision of the consumers, Design/Methodology/Approach: For this analysis, we have considered many online sources, namely websites and blogs, which guide and review display merchandising. Percentages, charts, diagrams are being used to present the tabular data. Findings/Result: It is found that variables like store appearance, lighting, music, window display, mannequins, and price tags have an impact on the purchase choice of consumers, as per the changing need of consumer the retailer should always try to maximize the quantity of new merchandising relating to the trend. The store must adopt a congenial store atmosphere to attract a maximum number of customers and retain them in their business for long. Originality/Value: Through the help of primary and secondary data, the study revealed that male youngster customers are more frequently visiting the store. The study reveals that the seating arrangement inside the store is not sufficient. The majority of the customer is visiting Reliance Digital to buy some specific product. Spot purchase activities are happening very rarely. Paper Type: Visual Merchandising on Consumer buying behaviour at Reliance Digital is a case study analysis work.

FUNCTIONALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE GIRL CHILD STUDENT TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM IN KANO METROPOLIS

This study evaluates the performance of the Girl Child Student Transportation Program in Kano Metropolis. Data used for this study was obtained through questionnaire administration to the passengers that patronized the Girl Child Student Transportation Program. Purposive sampling technique was employed in the selection of respondents and 235 copies of questionnaire were administered to the respondents and 223 were retrieved and used in the data analysis. The study employed the use of both descriptive and inferential statistical methods of data analysis. The findings showed that 62 (53.9%) of the buses are used for the program are fully functional, 29 (25.2%) of the buses are partially functional and 24 (20.9%) of the buses are grounded. The result of the linear regression analysis revealed with inferential evidence that, only seating capacity has a significant relationship with the patrons’ trip frequency out of the various service quality determinants. The paper recommends that the management of the Girl child student transportation program needs to design a frame work that will guide the seating arrangement of the bus service in order to achieve the desire goal of the program