Reading the Morning Paper, and on Throwing out the Body with the Bathwater
In: Environment and planning. A, Volume 29, Issue 9, p. 1521-1523
ISSN: 1472-3409
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In: Environment and planning. A, Volume 29, Issue 9, p. 1521-1523
ISSN: 1472-3409
In: Water and environment journal, Volume 7, Issue 5, p. 556-562
ISSN: 1747-6593
AbstractThis paper summarizes some of the key issues which have been considered in developing proposals for a scheme of classifying river quality for the purpose of setting water quality objectives on a statutory basis. Particular attention is given to (a) the relationship between use‐related and general water quality targets, (b) the role of biological assessment, and (c) the requirements of EC directives. Following widespread consultation on the proposals, it was concluded that a clear distinction should be made between sets of 'use classes'which would serve to set statutory water quality objectives (SWQOs) and a general quality assessment scheme which would be applied independently to assess trends and general progress over a period of time. Once the classification scheme has been established by the Secretaries of State through regulations, SWQOs will be introduced to river stretches in a number of 'pilot'catchments across England and Wales, following local consultation. The setting of SWQOs will provide the focus for local decision‐making on what the appropriate level of water quality should be – taking into account the desired uses of rivers, what will be required to achieve them, and the associated costs.
In: http://hdl.handle.net/2027/umn.31951002092926f
Sections of acts of Parliament affecting the franchise and registraion: p. 231-264. ; Mode of access: Internet.
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In: Survey review, Volume 32, Issue 254, p. 495-511
ISSN: 1752-2706
In: Water and environment journal, Volume 6, Issue 1, p. 48-53
ISSN: 1747-6593
ABSTRACTThis paper describes the elements and some early results of a major national research programme which was initiated to address the continuing serious problem of the pollution of rivers by farm wastes. This has involved a national assessment of the extent of the problem, aimed at identifying 'high‐risk'areas in the UK. Biological assessment techniques have been developed on the basis of extensive surveys at sites in West Wales, which show potential for the rapid detection of water‐quality problems caused by farm effluents. Detailed studies at selected sites have illustrated the variability in the ways that farming activities can affect the biology and chemistry of rivers. The development of tools, which provide the basis for decisions on acceptable levels of farming activity in accordance with environmental quality objectives, is discussed.
In: Water and environment journal, Volume 4, Issue 2, p. 176-186
ISSN: 1747-6593
ABSTRACTPollution from farm wastes has been one of the principal causes of deterioration in river quality in recent years. However, little is understood of how, and which, farming activities affect the chemical and biological quality of rivers. To address this problem, a field study has been initiated in the Eastern Cleddau catchment, West Wales, to investigate relationships between land use, farm waste management practices and river quality.Water quality of small tributaries in this area is poor, and intensive chemical monitoring has shown that discharges from farmyards are a major source of pollution. Rainfall has been shown to exacerbate this effect either through field runoff or wastes washing directly from the farmyards. The status of benthic macroinvertebrate communities in these tributaries is poor and, typically, only a few pollution‐tolerant species are present.Small tributaries from farms appear to affect both the water chemistry and biology of larger watercourses, although this effect may be quite localized.Future research will look at ways to reduce the impact of farm wastes on river quality. This will provide the basis for producing recommendations and guidelines for catchment management aimed at minimizing pollution of rivers from farming practices.
In: https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:4eacd113-bbb2-43d1-9ca7-a42a280288ba
This paper describes childhood poverty in Ethiopia and reviews the policies expected to have an impact on childhood poverty. It identifies key stakeholders for the Young Lives study, describes the methods used during the first round of Young Lives research in Ethiopia, and presents preliminary results. Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranking 168 out of 173 countries according to UNDP's 2002 Human Development Index. About 44 per cent of Ethiopia's population were living in absolute poverty in 1999/2000. Eighty nine per cent of children under five and 88 per cent of all children under fourteen lived under precarious conditions with limited or no access to basic services. Furthermore, with over 85 per cent of the population living in rural areas, the issue of rural poverty is of urgent importance. Food security is a key concern for rural households, and the majority of households in rural areas are not able to produce food to last throughout the year. Furthermore, 83 per cent of the rural population has no access to safe drinking water, compared to eight per cent of the urban population. The Ethiopian government has expanded its health-care services in the last five years. Although there have been improvements in access to maternal and child health-care, many children are still not receiving the vaccinations they require. Education has also seen improvements and overall net primary school enrolment has increased substantially. 66 per cent of children from the ages of seven to twelve remain out of school, however, and further improvements need to be made. Ethiopian policymakers stress the importance of economic development and argue that growth will reduce poverty and achieve economic stability. Policies relating to health and education have emphasised improved services and increased access and use. Decentralisation and good governance are also key aspects of government policy, and have been central in government measures aimed at restructuring Ethiopian political and economic systems and ...
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In: https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:326fd518-c787-49a4-8692-5434663a09fb
This paper describes childhood poverty in Ethiopia and reviews the policies expected to have an impact on childhood poverty. It identifies key stakeholders for the Young Lives study, describes the methods used during the first round of Young Lives research in Ethiopia, and presents preliminary results. Ethiopia is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranking 168 out of 173 countries according to UNDP's 2002 Human Development Index. About 44 per cent of Ethiopia's population were living in absolute poverty in 1999/2000. Eighty nine per cent of children under five and 88 per cent of all children under fourteen lived under precarious conditions with limited or no access to basic services. Furthermore, with over 85 per cent of the population living in rural areas, the issue of rural poverty is of urgent importance. Food security is a key concern for rural households, and the majority of households in rural areas are not able to produce food to last throughout the year. Furthermore, 83 per cent of the rural population has no access to safe drinking water, compared to eight per cent of the urban population. The Ethiopian government has expanded its health-care services in the last five years. Although there have been improvements in access to maternal and child health-care, many children are still not receiving the vaccinations they require. Education has also seen improvements and overall net primary school enrolment has increased substantially. 66 per cent of children from the ages of seven to twelve remain out of school, however, and further improvements need to be made. Ethiopian policymakers stress the importance of economic development and argue that growth will reduce poverty and achieve economic stability. Policies relating to health and education have emphasised improved services and increased access and use. Decentralisation and good governance are also key aspects of government policy, and have been central in government measures aimed at restructuring Ethiopian political and economic systems and ...
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Context. We report the discovery of TOI 263.01 (TIC 120916706), a transiting substellar object (R = 0.87 RJup) orbiting a faint M3.5 V dwarf (V = 18.97) on a 0.56 d orbit. Aims. We setout to determine the nature of the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) planet candidate TOI 263.01 using ground-based multicolour transit photometry. The host star is faint, which makes radial-velocity confirmation challenging, but the large transit depth makes the candidate suitable for validation through multicolour photometry. Methods. Our analysis combines three transits observed simultaneously in r′, i′, and zs bands usingthe MuSCAT2 multicolour imager, three LCOGT-observed transit light curves in g′, r′, and i′ bands, a TESS light curve from Sector 3, and a low-resolution spectrum for stellar characterisation observed with the ALFOSC spectrograph. We modelled the light curves with PYTRANSIT using a transit model that includes a physics-based light contamination component, allowing us to estimate the contamination from unresolved sources from the multicolour photometry. Using this information we were able to derive the true planet-star radius ratio marginalised over the contamination allowed by the photometry.Combining this with the stellar radius, we were able to make a reliable estimate of the absolute radius of the object. Results. The ground-based photometry strongly excludes contamination from unresolved sources with a significant colour difference to TOI 263. Furthermore, contamination from sources of the same stellar type as the host is constrained to levels where the true radius ratio posterior has a median of 0.217 and a 99 percentile of0.286. The median and maximum radius ratios correspond to absolute planet radii of 0.87 and 1.41 RJup, respectively,which confirms the substellar nature of the planet candidate. The object is either a giant planetor a brown dwarf (BD) located deep inside the so-called "brown dwarf desert". Both possibilities offer a challenge to current planet/BD formation models and make TOI 263.01 an object that merits in-depth follow-up studies. ; With funding from the Spanish government through the "María de Maeztu Unit of Excellence" accreditation (MDM-2017-0737)
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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted routine hospital services globally. This study estimated the total number of adult elective operations that would be cancelled worldwide during the 12 weeks of peak disruption due to COVID-19. Methods: A global expert response study was conducted to elicit projections for the proportion of elective surgery that would be cancelled or postponed during the 12 weeks of peak disruption. A Bayesian β-regression model was used to estimate 12-week cancellation rates for 190 countries. Elective surgical case-mix data, stratified by specialty and indication (surgery for cancer versus benign disease), were determined. This case mix was applied to country-level surgical volumes. The 12-week cancellation rates were then applied to these figures to calculate the total number of cancelled operations. Results: The best estimate was that 28 404 603 operations would be cancelled or postponed during the peak 12 weeks of disruption due to COVID-19 (2 367 050 operations per week). Most would be operations for benign disease (90·2 per cent, 25 638 922 of 28 404 603). The overall 12-week cancellation rate would be 72·3 per cent. Globally, 81·7 per cent of operations for benign conditions (25 638 922 of 31 378 062), 37·7 per cent of cancer operations (2 324 070 of 6 162 311) and 25·4 per cent of elective caesarean sections (441 611 of 1 735 483) would be cancelled or postponed. If countries increased their normal surgical volume by 20 per cent after the pandemic, it would take a median of 45 weeks to clear the backlog of operations resulting from COVID-19 disruption. Conclusion: A very large number of operations will be cancelled or postponed owing to disruption caused by COVID-19. Governments should mitigate against this major burden on patients by developing recovery plans and implementing strategies to restore surgical activity safely.
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