New Public Management has become a dominant paradigm within the public sector. Pivotal within this movement is the adoption of private sector practices by public organizations with the aim of improving their effectiveness (Goldfinch et al., 2010). One of those core practices is strategic planning (SP) (Ugboro et al., 2011), which Bryson (2010, S256) defines as 'a deliberative, disciplined effort to produce fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization is, what it does, and why it does it'. Despite the recognition that a systematic approach to strategy development is beneficial (Poister et al., 2013) and the fact that SP has become nearly ubiquitous among public organizations (Bovaird, 2008), the relevance of SP is still criticized (Ugboro, et al., 2011). One reason could be that previous research, largely, overlooked the fact that SP, as a process, involves complex assemblies of human actors (Bryson, et al., 2010). Consequently, research should focus more on the 'practice of strategy' (Bryson, 2010). Shifting attention towards micro-activities of SP and their relationship with planning outcomes (Wolf, et al.,2013) will shed light on the effectiveness of SP in public organizations. Because Bryson, et al. (2010) indicated that the essence of SP is the development of a shared set of fundamental decisions about the pivotal goals that guide an organization's strategies and actions, strategic consensus (SC) is viewed as an important proximate outcome, mediating the relationship between SP and performance (Walter et al., 2013). In essence, SC centers on 'the extent to which intra-organizational perceptions converge on shared understandings of strategic priorities' and is deemed a prerequisite for successful strategy implementation (Rapert et al., 2002, 301) because it minimizes the detrimental effects of the pursuit of divergent goals (Tarakci et al., 2014). The underlying proposition this is that 'a higher degree of SC is associated with improved coordination/cooperation in the implementation of strategy, and hence, with organizational performance' (Kellermans, et al., 2011, 719). Despite the theoretical importance of SC for strategy implementation effectiveness, empirical insights on the content (e.g. specific strategic priorities), the degree (i.e. level of SC), and the locus of strategic consensus within public organizations is, to a large extent, missing (Desmidt et al., 2016). Given the lack of insights on the subject, we examine the degree, content and locus of strategic consensus amongst and between groups of Flemish municipal councilors as well as the influencing group characteristics. The research setting comprises the councillors of 308 Flemish municipalities. Within-group and between-group SC is calculated using z-scores. The proposed research addresses the call for deeper knowledge on public SP's effectiveness (Bryson et al., 2010) and has two distinct contributions: (a) we, theoretically, elucidate the importance of SC within and between (groups of) decision makers, and (b) we measure the degree of SC while analyzing the group determinants defining the levels of SC in a public context.
http://ift.tt/2eLrkPM
Medicine by Alexandros G.Sfakianakis,Anapafseos 5 Agios Nikolaos,Crete 72100,Greece,tel :00302841026182 & 00306932607174
Τετάρτη 26 Οκτωβρίου 2016
We agree to disagree: the relation between city councilors’ demographic characteristics, political role-play and strategic consensus.
Synthesis methods for thermochromically active VO2 nanoparticles
In recent years, the need for smart window materials that lower the energy consumption for heating, venting and air-conditioning of buildings has grown immensely. These smart materials undergo a reversible change in physical properties depending on various conditions. A material that fits this description is vanadium dioxide, a thermochromic material that changes from a monoclinic to a rutile phase when heated above a critical temperature. This metal-insulator transition (MIT) leads to the absorption of infrared radiation. By absorbing this, a lower amount of heating-up occurs inside buildings and less cooling is needed. During this work, the main focus is the development of novel and easy methods to synthesize thermochromically active vanadium dioxide nanoparticles. Solvothermal and microwave syntheses were performed and optimized. The influence of various reaction parameters on the morphology, crystal structure and thermochromic properties of the nanosized materials was studied.
http://ift.tt/2eLkF8C
Waste pickers in the informal economy of the global south: included or excluded?
Purpose: This article aims to provide insights into the role and practices of informal waste pickers and the implications for waste management policy in urban contexts of the Global South. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative case study was used, including interviews, observations and document analyses. We compared informal waste management in two cities of the Global South: Accra (Ghana) and Porto Alegre (Brazil). Findings: The analysis points out that informal waste pickers play a crucial role in the implementation of waste policies in both cities, despite differing economic, social and institutional contexts. The study of the waste management system also points to multiple connections between informal and formal parts of the economy. Although the informal waste pickers are integral to the waste management system, their economically disadvantaged position excludes them from the formal labour market. Faced with these challenges, they develop creative solutions to guarantee their livelihood and gain collective voice. Research limitations: The comparison of two case studies, conducted about the same social phenomenon in two different economic, institutional and social contexts, has limited generalizability but is theoretically and practically important. Practical implications: The findings are relevant to policy-makers who deal with urban waste management and for organizations who develop support actions for informal workers. Originality/value: We draw on a comparison of qualitative case studies to explore the multidimensionality of the waste picker's phenomenon. This article sparks discussion among scholars and experts who study the informal economy from different perspectives, in this case bridging insights from sociology and victimology
http://ift.tt/2f71n0N
Keeping the horn on the rhino
Since 2007, rhinoceros poaching in South Africa has been increasing, now averaging three rhinos per day. Protecting the remaining rhinos requires both a better understanding of the crime of rhino poaching and of anti-poaching strategies. Through a theoretical triangulation of routine activity (Cohen & Felson, 1979), rational choice (Cornish & Clarke, 1986), and situational crime prevention theories (Clarke, 1997), we aim to better understand the crime of rhino poaching and analyze whether and how situational prevention measures can alter the cost-benefit equation of potential offenders. We also pay attention to how the sociopolitical and economic context affects rhino poaching and its governance. This chapter presents the results of research relating to the rhino conservation model of the Balule Nature Reserve in South Africa. Our study is based on participatory observation in their anti-poaching program, as well as interviews with stakeholders and partners of the program. We examine the Balule Rhino Conservation Model's organizational design and the counter-measures currently employed. This allows us to assess strengths and weaknesses of the model and provide recommendations for improvement, both for this case and for other anti-poaching contexts.
http://ift.tt/2f71OrG
European Court of Human Rights: Diamant Salihu and others v. Sweden
A recent decision of the European Court shows that journalists who commit (minor) offences during newsgathering activities cannot invoke robust protection based on their rights to freedom of expression and information as guaranteed by Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Journalists of the Swedish newspaper Expressen had undertaken to demonstrate the easy availability of illegal firearms by purchasing one. The Swedish courts were of the opinion that the editor and the journalists could not be exempted from criminal liability as they had wilfully breached the Swedish Weapons Act. In a unanimous decision, the European Court confirmed the necessity of the journalists' criminal conviction. It declared the application for alleged breach of the right of journalistic newsgathering under Article 10 of the Convention manifestly ill-founded.
http://ift.tt/2dJPVlR
European Court of Human Rights: Brambilla and others v. Italy
The legality and acceptability of some controversial practices by journalists was at the heart of a recent case before the European Court of Human Rights. The case concerns the conviction in Italy of three journalists who intercepted radio communications between police officers (carabinieri) in order to arrive quickly at crime scenes and report about them for their local online newspaper. Stressing the notion of responsible journalism and noting that the decisions of the domestic courts had been duly reasoned and had focused primarily on the need to protect national security and prevent crime and disorder, the Court confirms the duty of journalists to comply with domestic law, which prohibits the interception by any persons of communications not addressed to them, including those of law-enforcement agencies. The Court also notes that the penalties ordered by the domestic courts, consisting of the seizure of the radio equipment and the imposition of suspended custodial sentences, were not disproportionate. It emphasizes that the newspaper and the journalists have not been prevented or prohibited from bringing news items to the public's attention.
http://ift.tt/2dJS8h1
The ‘physiology of the understanding’ and the ‘mechanics of the soul’: reflections on some phantom philosophical projects
In reflecting on the relation between early empiricist conceptions of the mind and more experimentally motivated materialist philosophies of mind in the mid-eighteenth century, I suggest that we take seriously the existence of what I shall call 'phantom philosophical projects'. A canonical empiricist like Locke goes out of his way to state that their project to investigate and articulate the 'logic of ideas' is not a scientific project: "I shall not at present meddle with the Physical consideration of the Mind" (Essay, I.i.2). An equally prominent thinker, Immanuel Kant, seems to make an elementary mistake, given such a clear statement, when he claims that Locke's project was a "physiology of the understanding," in the Preface to the A edition of the first Critique). A first question, then, would be: what is this physiology of the understanding, if it was not Locke's project? Did anyone undertake such a project? If not, what would it have resembled? My second and related case comes out of a remark the Hieronymus Gaub makes in a letter to Charles Bonnet of 1761: criticizing materialist accounts of mind and mind-body relations such as La Mettrie's, Gaub suggests that what is needed is a thorough study of the "mechanics of the soul," and that Bonnet could write such a study. What is the mechanics of the soul, especially given that it is presented as a non-materialist project? To what extent does it resemble the purported "physiology of the understanding"? And more generally, what do both of these phantom projects have to do with a process we might describe as a 'naturalization of the soul'?
http://ift.tt/2f6YE7C
The illicit trade in hazardous waste: a criminological supply chain approach
This chapter begins by introducing the issue of hazardous waste. Attention is paid, first, to (hazardous) waste generation and, second, to the trade in hazardous waste. Next, the chapter discusses the most important international conventions and regulations on waste. It then explains the reasons behind the illegal trade in hazardous waste. This explores the criminogenic characteristics of the sector and product, the more organized criminal activity involved in the black market waste trade (Ruggiero 1996) and the modus operandi used in the illegal waste trade. The chapter then moves to a discussion of two particular cases of hazardous waste: e-waste and shipbreaking. These cases provide insights into what general dynamics drive this illegal trade and illustrate the specific dynamics and regulatory implications of each type of waste. All of this informs an analysis of the international policy and enforcement strategies, the main challenges in controlling the illegal trade in hazardous waste, and opportunities for better control and prevention.
http://ift.tt/2dJNCis
Materialism and 'the soft substance of the brain': Diderot and plasticity
Materialism is the view that everything that is real, is material or is the product of material processes. It tends to take either a 'cosmological' form, as a claim about the ultimate nature of the world, or a more specific 'psychological' form, detailing how mental processes are brain processes. I focus on the second, psychological or cerebral form of materialism. In the mid-to-late eighteenth century, the French materialist philosopher Denis Diderot (1713-1784) was one of the first to notice that any self-respecting materialist had to address the question of the status and functional role of the brain, and its relation to our mental, affective, intellectual life. After this the topic grew stale, with knee-jerk reiterations of 'psychophysical identity' in the nineteenth-century, and equally rigid assertions of anti-materialism. In 1960s philosophy of mind, brain-mind materialism reemerged as 'identity theory', focusing on the identity between mental processes and cerebral processes. In contrast, Diderot's cerebral materialism allows for a more culturally sedimented sense of the brain, which he describes in his late Elements of Physiology as a "book – except it is a book which reads itself". Diderot thus provides a lesson for materialism as it reflects on the status of the brain, science and culture.
http://ift.tt/2dJMtYn
Il fascino discreto del vitalismo settecentesco e le sue riproposizioni
The species of vitalism discussed here, to immediately rule out two possible misconceptions, is neither the feverish cosa mentale found in ruminations on 'biopolitics' and fascism – where it alternates quickly between being a form of evil and a form of resistance, with hardly any textual or conceptual material to discuss – nor the opaque, and less-known form in which it exists in the worlds of 'Theory' in the humanities, perhaps closely related to the cognate, 'materiality'. Rather, vitalism here is a malleable construct, often with a poisonous reputation (but which I want to rehabilitate), hovering in the realms of the philosophy of biology, the history of medicine, and the scientific background of the Radical Enlightenment (case in point, the influence of vitalist medicine on Diderot). This is a more vital vitalism, or at least a more 'biologistic', 'embodied', medicalized vitalism. I first distinguish between what I would call 'substantival' and 'functional' forms of vitalism, as applied to the eighteenth century. Substantival vitalism presupposes the existence of something like a (substantive) vital force which either plays a causal role in the natural world as studied by scientific means, or remains a kind of hovering, extra-causal entity. Functional vitalism tends to operate 'post facto', from the existence of living bodies to the desire to find explanatory models that will do justice to their uniquely 'vital' properties in a way that fully mechanistic models (one thinks e.g. of Cartesian mechanism) cannot. I discuss some representative figures of the Montpellier school as being functional rather than substantival vitalists. A second point concerns the reprisal of vitalism(s) in 'late modernity'; from Hans Driesch to Georges Canguilhem (who was perhaps the first in the post-war years to provocatively call himself a vitalist, when this was still a 'bad word'). I suggest that in addition to the substantival and functional varieties, we then encounter a third, more existential form of vitalism, articulated by Canguilhem, in which vitalism is a kind of attitude towards Life. All of this, I hope, argues for a form of vitalism which is neither tedious scientism nor dangerous political rhetoric of health and sickness; instead, a vitalism with its own discreet charm.
http://ift.tt/2f71Ksb
Enhanced product recovery from glycerol fermentation into 3-carbon compounds in a bioelectrochemical system combined with in situ extraction
Given the large amount of crude glycerol formed as a by-product in the biodiesel industries and the concomitant decrease in its overall market price, there is a need to add extra value to this biorefinery side stream. Upgrading can be achieved by new biotechnologies dealing with recovery and conversion of glycerol present in wastewaters into value-added products, aiming at a zero-waste policy and developing an economically viable process. In microbial bioelectrochemical systems (BESs), the mixed microbial community growing on the cathode can convert glycerol reductively to 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO). However, the product yield is rather limited in BESs compared with classic fermentation processes, and the synthesis of side-products, resulting from oxidation of glycerol, such as organic acids, represents a major burden for recovery of 1,3-PDO. Here, we show that the use of an enriched mixed-microbial community of glycerol degraders and in situ extraction of organic acids positively impacts 1,3-PDO yield and allows additional recovery of propionate from glycerol. We report the highest production yield achieved (0.72 mol1,3-PDO mol−1glycerol) in electricity-driven 1,3-PDO biosynthesis from raw glycerol, which is very close to the 1,3-PDO yield reported thus far for a mixed-microbial culture-based glycerol fermentation process. We also present a combined approach for 1,3-PDO production and propionate extraction in a single three chamber reactor system, which leads to recovery of additional 3-carbon compounds in BESs. This opens up further opportunities for an economical upgrading of biodiesel refinery side or waste streams.
http://ift.tt/2dJPk3q
Psoriasiform Eruption and Worsening of Pustulosis Palmoplantaris After Treatment with Two Anti-TNF-α Inhibitors, Followed by Successful Treatment with Ustekinumab
Abstract
Introduction
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α inhibitors are widely used for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. One of the side effects of TNF-inhibitors is the development of a psoriatiform eruption, also known as paradoxical psoriasis. In this case report, we describe a patient with this side effect after treatment with adalimumab and etanercept.
Case Report
A 45-year-old female was treated with adalimumab 40 mg once every 2 weeks for pustulosis palmoplantaris and psoriatic arthritis. After 2 injections, the patient developed a psoriatiform eruption on her body, which improved after discontinuation of adalimumab but worsened after treatment with etanercept 50 mg twice weekly. Eventually, the patient was treated with topical corticosteroids and ustekinumab 45 mg once every 3 months with a complete remission of the psoriatiform eruption.
Discussion
Several case reports and reviews have been published in recent years which describe patients with a psoriatiform eruption after treatment with TNF-α inhibitors. The pathogenesis that causes this psoriatic eruption is unclear. In conclusion, we describe a patient with a psoriatiform eruption after treatment with adalimumab and etanercept. This patient had to discontinue the treatment and eventually had a complete response after treatment with topical corticosteroids and treatment with ustekinumab.
http://ift.tt/2eQGty1
I Piaceri di Vitaliano Brancati: una barchetta di carta sul mare minato
Il presente contributo propone una riflessione su I piaceri (parole all'orecchio) di Vitaliano Brancati usciti presso Bompiani nell'ottobre del 1943, mettendo a fuoco la dimensione narrativa della raccolta di saggi brevi.
http://ift.tt/2eFLKcq
Models of organic organization in Montpellier vitalism
The species of vitalism discussed here is a malleable construct, often with a poisonous reputation (but which I want to rehabilitate), hovering in the realms of the philosophy of biology, the history of medicine, and the scientific background of the Radical Enlightenment (case in point, the influence of vitalist medicine on Diderot). This is a more vital vitalism, or at least a more 'biologistic', 'embodied', medicalized vitalism. I distinguish between what I would call 'substantival' and 'functional' forms of vitalism, as applied to the eighteenth century. Substantival vitalism presupposes the existence of something like a (substantive) vital force which either plays a causal role in the natural world as studied by scientific means, or remains a kind of hovering, extra-causal entity. Functional vitalism tends to operate 'post facto', from the existence of living bodies to the desire to find explanatory models that will do justice to their uniquely 'vital' properties in a way that fully mechanistic models (one thinks e.g. of Cartesian mechanism) cannot. I discuss some representative figures of the Montpellier school as being functional rather than substantival vitalists, particularly as regards the models of organic organization which they develop, and make some suggestions as to how these relate to the then-nascent science of biology.
http://ift.tt/2eF1CP9
The organism as reality or as fiction: Buffon and beyond
In this essay we reflect on arguments for the reality of organisms (or in contrast their status as constructs, whether heuristic or otherwise scientifically useful constructs), in relation to the specific case of Buffon. Debates on the status of the organism have typically focused on either its 'reality' or its 'individuality'. We examine implications for both these aspects, of Buffon's position according to which organic organization is ubiquitous in nature, and comes in degrees and forms, in contrast to other positions including Leibniz's and Kant's.
http://ift.tt/2eFLwBY
The embodied Descartes: Contemporary readings of L’Homme
A certain reading of Descartes, which we refer to as 'the embodied Descartes', is emerging from recent scholarship on L'Homme. This reading complicates our understanding of Descartes's philosophical project: far from strictly separating human minds from bodies, the embodied Descartes keeps them tightly integrated, while animal bodies behave in ways quite distinct from those of other pieces of extended substance. Here, we identify three categories of embodiment in contemporary readings of Descartes's physiology: 1) bodily health and function, 2) embodied reflex and memory, and 3) embodied cognition. All present more or less strong versions of the embodied Descartes. Together, they constitute a compelling reading of a Cartesian natural philosophy that, if not expressly antidualist, is an awfully long way from the canonical picture.
http://ift.tt/2eFLJoS
Automata, man-machines and embodiment: deflating or inflating Life?
Early modern automata, understood as efforts to 'model' life, to grasp its singular properties and/or to unveil and demystify its seeming inaccessibility and mystery, are not just fascinating liminal, boundary, hybrid, crossover or go-between objects, while they are all of those of course. They also pose a direct challenge to some of our common conceptions about mechanism and embodiment. They challenge the simplicity of the distinction between a purported 'mechanistic' worldpicture, its ontology and its goals, and on the other hand an attempt to understand ourselves and animals more broadly as flesh-and-blood, affective entities (that is, not just breathing and perspiring, but also desiring and 'sanguine' machines, as La Mettrie might have put it). In what follows I reflect on the complexity of early modern mechanism faced with the (living) body, and its mirror image, contemporary theories of embodiment. At times, embodiment theory seems to be governed by a fascination with what the Artificial Life researcher Ezequiel Di Paolo has called 'biochauvinism' (Di Paolo, 'Extended Life'): an unquestioned belief that 'living bodies are special'. Yet how does the theorist define this special status? The question is apparently a simple one, or at least promptly yields an aporia which appears simple: to borrow a provocative phrase from Terry Eagleton, embodiment theory is obsessed by the body but terrified of biology. Yet at the same time, at least since Hubert Dreyfus and Andy Clark's groundbreaking works, embodiment has been a legitimate part of cognitive science, yielding the even more recently emerged field of 'embodied cognition' (see the work of Larry Shapiro), which seeks to depart from traditional cognitive science, especially the latter's understanding of cognition as computational, in order to instead underscore 'the significance of an organism's body in how and what the organism thinks', in Shapiro's words.
http://ift.tt/2eF0pqZ
Civil society meetings in EU trade agreements: recommendations and lessons for EPAs
EU trade agreements increasingly involve civil society to discuss and monitor sustainable development. Evaluations of these civil society meetings vary widely from being mere talking shops to empowering platforms. The new EPAs have weak or no provisions on civil society involvement and should be strengthened in this regard. In order to maximise the full potential of these meetings, lessons can be drawn from the existing mechanisms.
http://ift.tt/2eFN9zD
Three neuroaesthetics
In this piece I survey three possible models in contemporary neuroaesthetics: positivist, idealist and critical. Different attitudes towards science and art prevail in each.
http://ift.tt/2eEVCpI
Effect of initial headspace O2 level on the growth and volatile metabolite production of Leuconostoc mesenteriodes and the microbial and sensorial quality of modified atmosphere packaged par-fried French fries
This study evaluated the effect of residual O2 level (0% to 5%) on microbial growth and volatile metabolite production on par-fried French fries packaged in a modified atmosphere with 60% CO2 (rest N2) at 4 °C. The results obtained showed that the initial headspace (IH) O2 level had an effect on growth of Leuconostoc mesenteroides on French fry simulation agar, whereby growth was slightly faster under 5% O2. In terms of quantity, ethanol, 2-methyl-1-propanol, and dimethyl disulphide were the most significant volatile metabolites produced by L. mesenteroides. The production of ethanol by L. mesenteroides was highest on simulation agar packaged under low IH O2 levels (0% to 1%), indicating that the fermentative metabolism was induced under these conditions. In agreement with the results observed on the simulation medium, growth of native lactic acid bacteria was faster under an IH O2 level of 5%. In addition, ethanol, 2-methyl-1-propanol, and dimethyl disulphide were also quantitatively the most important volatile metabolites. However, in contrast, greater quantities of ethanol and dimethyl disulphide were produced on par-fried French fries packaged under 5% O2. This was attributed to the limited growth of the native flora on the par-fried French fries under residual O2 levels of 0% and 1%. Although some significant differences (P < 0.05) occurred between the French fries packaged in 0%, 1%, and 5 % residual O2 during storage, all products were considered to be acceptable for consumption. The results of this study can be used to optimize the shelf-life of packaged chill stored potato products.
http://ift.tt/2eFLmdR
On effect of pre-bending process on low cycle fatigue behaviour of high strength steel using lock-in thermography
The application of High Strength Steel (HSS) on different structural components is becoming more attractive. They have a fine grain structure, low carbon content for improved weldability, and controlled internal purity. These steel grades are frequently used for structural applications. There are a lot of steel components of the considered applications that are subjected to bending and fatigue loading conditions, respectively. It is well known that under critical loading conditions, cyclic stress, which exceeds the material yield stress, can occur at some critical locations such as the inner side of bent components. Combining these two aspects, i.e. the bending process followed by fatigue loading, causes multiple micro-crack initiation inside the inner surface of the bending area, which is followed by propagation of the cracks up to final rupture of material. The main objective of the present study is to investigate the effect of pre-bending process of HSS subjected to low cycle fatigue loading conditions, since so far only very limited amount of research has been focused in this direction. For this purpose, in the first step, a new test set-up was designed to take into account the effect of pre-bending process when the fatigue load has been applied. Lock-in thermography technique was used to monitor the incremental temperature variation during fatigue cycling at the bending root. Using the temperature evolution, the crack initiation and propagation lifetimes were separated from total lifetime. Fractography and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analyses were performed to study the fracture surface of specimens after bending and fatigue testing. Furthermore, numerical technique approach was used to model the bending and spring back processes along with the fatigue loading in order to understand effect of bending process on fatigue behaviour of tested material. The developed finite element model provides more information about the multiaxial strain and stress states at and near the bending root after bending process and applied axial fatigue load.
http://ift.tt/2eEXajt
Exploiting the low-rank property of hyperpsectral imagery: a technical overview
Hyperspectral images (HSIs) often suffer from various annoying degradations, which poses huge challenges for the practical applications. Fortunately, clean HSI is intrinsically low-rank, which opens up a broad category of HSI processing and analysis methods with high robustness against the complicated mixture of various noises and outliers. Based on the low rank property of HSI, this paper provides a comprehensive review on restoration, multi-angle registration and unmixing methods for HSIs developed very recently, and insights for further investigations.
http://ift.tt/2eEW1YV
Exploratieve scenario's en transities: een verkenning en een actieonderzoek voor duurzaam wonen en bouwen in Vlaanderen
In transitie- en transitiemanagementprocessen wordt dikwijls gebruik gemaakt van normatieve toekomstscenario's: gewenste toekomstvisies zoals die gedefinieerd worden door de deelnemers in het proces. In de wereld van de scenariobouw wordt er echter ook uitgebreid gewerkt met exploratieve scenario's: verkenningen van hoe de toekomst er zou kunnen uitzien (ipv hoe we willen dat hij er uitziet). Deze paper bespreekt eerst de kenmerken van exploratieve scenario's en wat dit soort scenario's zou kunnen betekenen voor transitieprocessen. Daarna beschrijft hij uitgebreid een actieonderzoek waarbij exploratieve scenario's zijn uitgewerkt voor duurzaam wonen en bouwen in Vlaanderen.
http://ift.tt/2eFKHsZ
Interactions between wheat starch, hydroxypropyl methyl-cellulose (HPMC) and psyllium seed husk in gluten-free breadmaking
Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and psyllium seed husk (PSH) have been described as possible network forming components in gluten-free bread. However, there is still a lack of knowledge about their functionality in gluten-free breadmaking. In this study, the interactions between HPMC and PSH in a gluten-free model system with wheat starch were studied. Their functionality was investigated through rheology, cryo-scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM) and baking trials. First, the rheological properties and microstructure of the individual hydrocolloid solutions were investigated. Next, their interactions with starch were studied by pasting experiments at different incorporation levels (2.5-5-7.5-10 %) and different HPMC/PSH ratios (0:100, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25, 100:0). Cryo-SEM images of the paste were also obtained at different stages during the pasting experiment. Lastly, baking trials were performed at two levels of dough consistency and the effect of HPMC and PSH on bread quality was assessed. Solutions of HPMC as well as of PSH showed Newtonian or shear-thinning behaviour, depending on their concentration, whereas hysteresis was only observed for PSH. Oscillatory shear experiments showed that thermal gelation of HPMC and melting of the weak PSH gel occurred around the same temperature. The pasting experiments indicated that HPMC especially impacted the start of gelatinisation and retrogradation whereas PSH contributed more to the overall viscosity of the paste especially at high concentration. HPMC largely contributed to air retention during fermentation and baking. A higher amount of psyllium in the dough formulation exhibited a negative effect on bread quality parameters. The optimal combination of HPMC and PSH depended on the dough consistency.
http://ift.tt/2eEW9I9
Impact of Financial Incentives on Alcohol Consumption Recording in Primary Health Care Among Adults with Schizophrenia and Other Psychoses: A Cross-Sectional and Retrospective Cohort Study.
Khadjesari, Z; Hardoon, SL; Petersen, I; Hamilton, FL; Nazareth, I; (2016) Impact of Financial Incentives on Alcohol Consumption Recording in Primary Health Care Among Adults with Schizophrenia and Other Psychoses: A Cross-Sectional and Retrospective Cohort Study. Alcohol and Alcoholism 10.1093/alcalc/agw076 . (In press).
http://ift.tt/2eQuArB
The influence of the electronic specific heat on swift heavy ion irradiation simulations of silicon
Khara, GS; Murphy, ST; Daraszewicz, SL; Duffy, DM; (2016) The influence of the electronic specific heat on swift heavy ion irradiation simulations of silicon. J. Phys.: Condens. Matter , 28 (39) , Article 395201. 10.1088/0953-8984/28/39/395201 .
http://ift.tt/2dVVAsb
Feature diversity for optimized human micro-Doppler classification using multistatic radar
Fioranelli, F; Ritchie, MA; Gurbuz, S; Griffiths, H; (2016) Feature diversity for optimized human micro-Doppler classification using multistatic radar. IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems (In press).
http://ift.tt/2eQv1lP
London Hybrid Exposure Model: Improving Human Exposure Estimates to NO2 and PM2.5 in an Urban Setting
Smith, JD; Mitsakou, C; Kitwiroon, N; Barratt, BM; Walton, HA; Taylor, JG; Anderson, HR; Smith, JD; Mitsakou, C; Kitwiroon, N; Barratt, BM; Walton, HA; Taylor, JG; Anderson, HR; Kelly, FJ; Beevers, SD; - view fewer (2016) London Hybrid Exposure Model: Improving Human Exposure Estimates to NO2 and PM2.5 in an Urban Setting. Environmental Science and Technology 10.1021/acs.est.6b01817 . (In press).
http://ift.tt/2dVV4u5
Numerical modeling of drying shrinkage deformation of cement-based composites by coupling multiscale structure model with 3D lattice analyses
Liu, L; Wang, X; Chen, H; Wan, C; Zhang, M; (2017) Numerical modeling of drying shrinkage deformation of cement-based composites by coupling multiscale structure model with 3D lattice analyses. Computers & Structures , 178 pp. 88-104. 10.1016/j.compstruc.2016.10.005 .
http://ift.tt/2eQtyMp