Quantifying Nature Positive

To become mainstream, Nature Positive development needs positive messaging, measures and metrics to guide, plan and assess urban outcomes. With accelerating climate crisis and negative messages getting the upper-hand, it is important to avoid paralysis by bad news. Whilst striving for a nature positive world, more effort should be on moving beyond zero to qualify and quantify benefits, gains and regenerative outcomes instead of around damage and loss sticking points. Life Cycle Benefit Assessment (LCBA) methods measure gains in accelerating regeneration and climate security that enables a good news focus. Its reach beyond negative quantifies and shows positive gain beyond zero loss outcomes. The aims are to clarify concepts, challenges and quantitative methods then review real-world 3rd party Certified nature positive case studies. Climate security, human wellness and resource viability gains inside safe operating space within planetary boundaries are quantified as positive benefits. contrary to conventional Life Impact Cycle Impact Assessment LCBA assigns damage losses as negatives debts and benefit gains as positive savings. It concludes that LCBA remains under development with more research needed to model economic outcomes.

Part II Economic Regulation, 6 Liberalization and Promotion of Inward Investment

This chapter focuses on policies of investment liberalization and promotion, both at the host state and at the bilateral, regional and multilateral levels. In all cases, the aim has been to remove barriers to inward foreign direct investment (FDI) in the belief that this will offer positive economic gains to states and to the global economy. However, the removal of host state controls cannot automatically guarantee adequate levels, or useful kinds, of inward investment. Nor will it guarantee an equitable international distribution of its benefits. Moreover, competition over investment incentives between states may create economic distortions between them, with little positive gain. The reduction of barriers to direct investment, and the use of investment incentives, stand to benefit multinational enterprises (MNEs), as they can establish operations over a wider geographical space and can enjoy reduced investment risks. Against this background, the major home states of MNEs have placed the reduction of barriers to FDI onto the agendas of regional and multilateral economic organizations, with some success.

MIMO Antenna Design and Optimization with Enhanced Bandwidth for Wireless Applications

This paper demonstrates a compact MIMO (Multi Input Multi Output) fractal type antenna for ultra-wide band applications. The proposed antenna is manufactured on a lowcost substrate material and the design is analyzed for various iterations in terms of reflection coefficient, gain, and bandwidth. The 50 Ω transmission line feed is used for both fractal patches and a metamaterial structure is used as the ground plane. The proposed design achieved a wide-band frequency response between 5.8 and 15 GHz, with the reflection coefficient of less than –10 dB. Reduced mutual coupling, positive gain and stable radiation patterns were observed throughout the operating band as well. The bandwidth of 9.2 GHz is achieved with the use of a metamaterial structure on the ground plane. The ECC and diversity gain obtained prove the excellent diversity performance of the antenna. The design was simulated using HFSS software and was tested in a lab.

Age Differences in Response to Framed Side Effects Information About Hypothetical Medications

Framing equivalent information as a gain (e.g., 90% survival rate) or a loss (e.g., 10% mortality rate) can differentially impact judgments and decision making, such that people make more favorable judgements when information is presented as a positive gain versus a negative loss. The current study investigated how framing and age influences evaluative judgments of hypothetical medications used to treat common health issues when the equivalent probability of experiencing a particular side effect was presented as a gain (e.g., “86% of people who took this medication did not experience rash outbreaks”) or a loss (e.g., “14% of people who took this medication did experience rash outbreaks”). Younger and older adults were presented with health pamphlets for hypothetical medications with three unique side effects for each and indicated the medication’s perceived riskiness, how positively and negatively they felt about the medication, and their likelihood to take the medication. Numeracy, risk-taking behavior, and current affective state were also measured. When information was presented in a loss frame, people reported more negative feelings about the medication, leading to greater perceived riskiness, IE = -.785, SE = .13, p < .001. Age indirectly influenced likelihood via the positive feelings about the medication, IE = .349, SE = .14, p = .013. Younger adults felt more positively about the medications than older adults, leading to an increased willingness to take the medication. These findings provide insight into how framing and age can differentially influence evaluative judgments, perceived risk, and willingness to take medication.

Carer burden and positive gain in dementia

Purpose Behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) have been well established as factors involved in the development of carer burden. However, it is not clear which symptoms are most burdensome for carers and which caregiver factors may be involved. This study aims to explore symptoms associated with executive functioning deficits and their impact on three dimensions of carer burden and positive gain. It also aims to discover whether behaviour management strategies used by carers, and their level of experiential avoidance, had an independent impact on these factors. Design/methodology/approach A total of 110 dementia caregivers completed five self-report measures as part of a cross-sectional design: the Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX), Zarit Burden Interview, Positive Aspects of Caregiving Questionnaire, Dementia Management Strategies Scale and Experiential Avoidance in Caregiving Questionnaire (EACQ). Findings Executive functioning deficits (DEX) were found to account for most variance in burden, with DEX subscales impacting differentially on the three dimensions of burden and positive gain. The use of negative management strategies was associated with higher levels of burden, as was Active Avoidant Behaviour (a subscale of the EACQ), whereas positive management strategies were associated with positive gain. Originality/value In line with previous findings, symptoms associated with executive functioning deficits were the most significant factor in the development of carer burden. The findings relating to behaviour management strategies and experiential avoidance suggest that these could be potential mediating mechanisms in this relationship. Further research is required to explore this in detail, and to consider implications for targeted carer interventions.

Nature Inspired Fibonacci Sequence Microstrip Patch Antenna For Energy Harvesting Applications

In this paper, design and simulation of Nature Inspired Fibonacci sequence golden spiral antenna is presented. It is based on the snail’s shell structure which is frequently found in nature. The proposed antenna geometry has its unique design and it is used for energy harvesting applications. For energy harvesting applications rectenna is designed which has an antenna, matching circuit, voltage doubler circuit and load. The antenna is designed in CST (computer simulation technology) microwave studio software. Using CST software S-parameter, surface current, E-field, H-field are simulated and results are analyzed. The antenna is simulated in 3 GHz to 10 GHz frequency band and achieves multiband return loss characteristics and positive gain at respective frequencies

Wireless Energy Harvesting with Cooperative Relaying under the Best Relay Selection Scheme

One of the most notable challenges in wireless communications is energy scarcity, which has attracted considerable attention in Fifth Generation (5G) wireless network research. This paper investigates the performance of energy harvesting (EH) relays under the best relay selection (BRS) scheme. The results show degradation of spectral efficiency (SE) due to EH relaying compared with conventional cooperative relaying (CR). Conversely, EH relaying provides a positive gain compared with conventional CR, increasing the lifetime of the network and decreasing energy consumption (EC) and operational cost. Moreover, the EH relaying network has better energy efficiency (EE) compared with conventional relaying networks. Results show that when EH relaying is applied, EE is improved through an increased number of relays. Finally, the SE-EE metric is presented for both conventional and EH relays. Results show that the performance of the proposed technique was able to achieve a maximum SE of 1.4 bits/s/Hz and maximum EE at 0.6 bits/s/Hz, and for the case of conventional relays, a maximum SE of 2 bits/s/Hz and EE at 1.1 bits/s/Hz. This result implies that the proposed EH scheme provides an optimum solution for energy-constrained wireless CR systems.

Engagement of National Stakeholders and Communities on Health-Care Quality Improvement: Experience from the Implementation of the Partnership for HIV-Free Survival in Tanzania

The Partnership for HIV-Free Survival initiative in Tanzania integrated postnatal nutrition and mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) cascades to reduce vertical HIV transmission. Quality improvement (QI) was implemented in 30 health facilities. Net positive gain resulted in overall improvement in all indicators (above 80%) by the end of the reporting period. Retention in postnatal care (mean = 49.8, standard deviation [SD] = 27.6) and in monthly HIV services (mean = 65.4, SD = 29.5) had the lowest average but showed consecutive and significant ( P ≤ .001) gains except for significant decreases in 1 of 6 periods assessed. Average antiretroviral therapy uptake among women (mean = 81.7, SD = 29.5) was highest, with an initial positive gain of 78.9% ( P ≤ .001). DNA/polymerase chain reaction for HIV-exposed infants (mean = 71.8, SD = 20.9) and nutrition counseling (mean = 71.2, SD = 26.3) showed similar average performance, with the latter being the only indicator with significant equal periods of gain and decreases. The collaborative QI approach improved process indicators for reducing MTCT in resource-constrained health systems.