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Walking is the most accessible form for seniors to engage in daily light or moderate physical activity. Walking activity depends on both individual and environmental factors, the latter including how walkable a given setting is. Recent papers have pointed at the relevance of also considering meteorological conditions in relation to the walking behavior of older adults. This paper explores the combined effect of neighborhood walkability, temperature and rain on daily walking time among seniors residing in Barcelona. Daily walking time was extracted from 7-day GPS (Global Positioning System) devices and accelerometer data of 227 seniors residing in the Barcelona Metropolitan Region (Spain). Temperature and rain data were extracted from official governmental weather stations. Mixed-effects linear regression models were adjusted to test the combined association between weather and walkability on daily walking time. Neighborhood walkability is positively associated with walking time among seniors, while rain generally deters it. Additionally, this study demonstrates that temperature and rain modify the effect of residential walkability on senior walking activity: low temperatures are particularly associated with lower walking activity among those residing in low walkable areas, while the presence of rain presents a negative association with walking time in high walkable environments. The combined effect of walkability and weather should be considered both in design actions that aim at improving walking infrastructure and also in prevention programs aimed at encouraging daily walking among seniors.

Over 75% of the hydropower electricity generated in Mozambique is exported to neighbouring countries; however, access to electricity continues to be a dream to many of its own citizens, mainly in rural areas. While in urban and peri-urban areas, the reliability, affordability, and quality of services are constant nightmares. With old, fast-growing and overloaded grid connections, and an enduring problematic electricity service provision, small changes in weather and climate represent to many citizens fear of prolonged power cuts or oscillations that are disruptive to their activities and detrimental to their household electrical appliances. On the other hand, while electricity tariffs are currently very expensive to most households' realities, they are not cost-reflective, thereby putting the national electricity supply company (Electricidade de Moçambique – EDM) in a rocketing financial debt (more than US$1 billion) and insolvency. Thus, cost-reflective tariffs are deemed critical to ensure the company's sustainability, viability, and provision of quality services. Yet, the tariffs may be unaffordable to many of EDM's current and future residential customers. This paper examines EDM's challenges of providing affordable and reliable electricity for all while at the same time ensuring the company's financial sustainability and viability of operations. We explore the political, economic and technical factors that have contributed to EDM's struggles to fulfil its social and commercial directives roles. Methodology Since November 2019 we have been conducting fieldwork in Mozambique to build a more comprehensive understanding of the history and development of the country's energy system and the challenges EDM faces to satisfy its social and commercial mandates. To this end, we selected four major cities as the study sites, Maputo and Matola in the Southern Region (Maputo Province), Beira in the Central (Sofala Province) and Nampula in the Northern region (Nampula Province). These cities also have historically differed in terms of political orientation and level of development. Maputo and Matola have been traditionally FRELIMO (Mozambican Liberation Front) supporters, while Beira and Nampula have belonged to the opposition parties, firstly RENAMO (Mozambican National Resistance) and then MDM (Mozambique Democratic Movement). Since EDM is a governmental institution and the state has been run by FRELIMO since independence, these diverse political orientations will allow the correlation of political orientation with the level and quality of electricity service provision. Additionally, we have decided to include both Maputo city and Matola in the survey because even though Maputo city is historically the main city in the province, Matola is mostly an emerging area, has a largest and more populated residential area than Maputo city, so it's likely to have much more interesting challenging in terms of energy access. This will provide different consumers' perspectives and allow comparison in terms of challenges of energy provision, affordability, level of consumption and reliability in emerging and developed. We are currently conducting research in Maputo and Matola cities, but the same methodology will be used in Beira and Nampula cities. Thus, the data that will be presented in the conference will mostly reflect results from Maputo province. However, a final paper will be produced upon the end of the data collection. In each city, we are surveying a total of 6 neighbourhoods (3 peri-urban and 3 urban areas) that are being randomly selected, but we are trying to ensure a balanced selection of the neighbourhoods to include emerging and developed areas, as previously mentioned. Within the neighbourhoods, the surveys are being conducted at household level. These participants are being randomly selected, and where it is possible both husband and wife are being surveyed. This gender balance intends to have different perspectives within the household regarding their month energy consumption, reliability and affordability, including number of times they top-up their pre-paid meters, called Credelec. It also intends to explore their levels of satisfaction with the electricity service provision, complains made to EDM and how they were answered. At EDM, the interviews are being conducted at different levels, i.e., from the directorial to the technical level. The majority of EDM's participants are being purposefully selected based on their job position, but others knowledgeable and experienced participants are being selected using snowball. The idea of including these diverse levels of employees is to have a better understanding of the challenges that EDM faces from the managerial to the technical (field) levels to provide quality and reliable services at affordable prices. Thus, the interviews with EDM are being conducted at different locations such as office buildings, stations and thermal centrals. The interviews explore in depth the main challenges EDM faces with their electricity system and the main consumers' complaints they receive. The interviews also explore the economic, technical and political factors that have contributed to the challenges and how they address them. To broad our understanding of EDM challenges, we are also reviewing official documents, reports and policy briefs from relevant institutions in the energy sector' journal articles and media news (television, printed and online newspapers). Hence, to allow participants to deeply share their knowledge and develop their viewpoints, open-ended questions are being used in the surveys at both household and institutional levels. In addition, the surveys are being audio recorded to capture all participants' responses and are being transcribed to Microsoft Word and later will be analysed using Nvivo (qualitative data) and Statistical Package for Social Sciences - SPSS (quantitative data).

Archaeological research is radically transforming the view that the Amazon basin and surrounding areas witnessed limited societal development before European contact. Nevertheless, uncertainty remains on the nature of the subsistence systems and the role that aquatic resources, terrestrial mammalian game, and plants had in supporting population growth, geographic dispersal, cultural adaptations and political complexity during the later stages of the pre-Columbian era. This is exacerbated by the general paucity of archaeological human remains enabling individual dietary reconstructions. Here we use stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of bone collagen to reconstruct the diets of human individuals from São Luís Island (Brazilian Amazon coast) dated between ca. 1800 and 1000 cal BP and associated with distinct ceramic traditions. We expanded our analysis to include previously published data from Maracá and Marajó Island, in the eastern Amazon. Quantitative estimates of the caloric contributions from food groups and their relative nutrients using a Bayesian Mixing Model revealed distinct subsistence strategies, consisting predominantly of plants and terrestrial mammals and variably complemented with aquatic resources. This study offers novel quantitative information on the extent distinct food categories of polyculture agroforestry systems fulfilled the caloric and protein requirements of Late Holocene pre-Columbian populations in the Amazon basin.

This chapter embarks on a socio-legal analysis of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) to capture the general characteristics of the ECCC as a hybrid court and, moreover, to home in on some of the important measures and mechanisms that its mandate provide for. The first part entails an account of the way the ECCC came into existence in the first instance, and this reveals factors that make a non-separation of politics and law difficult. The second part identifies some pro-reform aspects about victims' rights in terms of reparations and—in the case of rape—an anti-ethical cum ultra-conservative outlook of rights in terms of recognition of the crimes committed. It seems therefore that the complexities and compromises of the ECCC reappear in its efforts to construct an enhanced recognition of victims and in its judicial reasoning on rape, which arguably introduces an almost absolute justice deficit.

Sustainable food production requires approaches that reconcile agricultural production with the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, biodiversity and associated ecosystem services. While the contribution of agriculture to the provision of individual ecosystem services has received considerable scientific attention, little is known about the extent to which tropical landscapes can meet societal expectations related to food production and environmental sustainability simultaneously. We assessed how the spatial configuration of pedo-morphology and land uses influences the provision of three soil-based ecosystem services in eastern Amazonia: carbon storage (CS), habitat for biodiversity (HB), and agricultural commodity production (CP). We use the Functional Land Management framework to assess the supply and demand of these ecosystem services in a spatially explicit manner to identify areas of (mis)matches and trade-offs in the municipality of Paragominas, Brazil. The supply of ecosystem services was informed by a literature review for the various combinations of pedo-morphological characteristics and land uses in the region. The demand for ecosystem services was mapped based on federal and state policy targets. Mapping the supply and demand of CS indicated that half of the carbon in the region is stored in remnants of undisturbed forest which cover only a third of the municipality. Demand for HB in terms of forested area is met but it does not guarantee safeguarding biodiversity. Roughly a third of the territory shows scarce quality of HB even when compliant with legislation. Concerning CP, we identified areas where both supply and the demand to increase production are relative high due to road access and lower intensification costs. The demand for agricultural production can eventually incentivize the expansion of agriculture on fertile soils, which could compromise environmental targets. Our results suggest that the simultaneous delivery of multiple ecosystem services may require land-use ...

Low-carbon technologies must be widely adopted at a large scale to address climate change and enhance access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy. The uptake of those technologies is often supported by specific policies developed at a national or regional level and those policies, like the technologies themselves, can diffuse from one place to another. This paper sheds some light on this 'policy transfer' and investigates the dynamics, the actors and the processes involved. We illustrate what happens when renewable energy support policies in one country inspire renewable support policies in another country using three case studies in Peru, Thailand and Uganda as examples. Using an adapted version of the policy transfer framework first elaborated by Dolowitz and Marsh (Polit Stud 44:343–57, 1996; Governance 13:5–23, 2000), we describe the policy transfer process in the three case study countries according to several criteria. We find that policy transfer is not a straightforward process where a 'borrower' country simply adopts policies from a 'lender' country, but instead a complex process where many actors - national and international – interact to shape the outcome of the process. And while experiences particularly in the EU as well as international developments have influenced the policy transfer in case study countries significantly, domestic issues also play a key role in shaping the transferred policies and in adapting them to local contexts. Moreover, the policy transfer process is not an one-off event, but a continuous process where iterative learning helps the policies to evolve over time. Policy transfer is a complex matter, involving many stakeholders during a continuous process over time. The Dolowitz and Marsh framework proved useful to analyse policy transfer and the actors involved although questions for further research remain. For instance, against what kind of criteria should the 'success' of a policy transfer be measured? Moreover, while comparing three illustrative case studies is a first, useful step, having a larger set of case studies and data might enhance our understanding of the details of the processes involved even further.

There are high political and policy expectations of local and voluntary initiatives of citizens collaborating to provide public services themselves. Despite rising attention, existing research lacks systematic knowledge on the actual outcomes of citizen initiatives and on stimulating or hampering factors. Therefore, we present a systematic literature review using the PRISMA approach on citizen initiatives and related terms. The studies show citizens being able to achieve outcomes touching upon a broad range of public values. Furthermore, the review presents contributing factors, like government support and boundary spanning leadership. Yet, the field of citizen initiatives in the social sciences can benefit from more methodological and analytical rigor. We therefore conclude with a conceptual framework for community self-management that identifies relationships between outcomes and relevant factors and discuss future research directions.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the short-term impact of a soft opt-out organ donation system on consent rates and donor numbers. DESIGN: Before and after observational study using bespoke routinely collected data. SETTING: National Health Service Blood and Transplant. PARTICIPANTS: 205 potential organ donor cases in Wales. INTERVENTIONS: The Act and implementation strategy. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES: Consent rates at 18 months post implementation compared with 3 previous years, and organ donor numbers 21 months before and after implementation. Changes in organ donor register activity post implementation for 18 months. RESULTS: The consent rate for all modes of consent was 61.0% (125/205), showing a recovery from the dip to 45.8% in 2014/2015. 22.4% (46/205) were deemed consented donors: consent rate 60.8% (28/46). Compared with the 3 years before the switch there was a significant difference in Welsh consent rates (χ2 p value=0.009). Over the same time period, rest of the UK consent rates also significantly increased from 58.6% (5256/8969) to 63.1% (2913/4614) (χ2 p value<0.0001), therefore the Wales increase cannot be attributed to the Welsh legislation change. Deceased donors did not increase: 101 compared with 104. Organ donation registration increased from 34% to 38% with 6% registering to opt-out. CONCLUSION: This is the first rigorous initial evaluation with bespoke data collected on all cases. The longer-term impact on consent rates and donor numbers is unclear. Concerns about a potential backlash and mass opting out were not realised. The move to a soft opt-out system has not resulted in a step change in organ donation behaviour, but can be seen as the first step of a longer journey. Policymakers should not assume that soft opt-out systems by themselves simply need more time to have a meaningful effect. Ongoing interventions to further enhance implementation and the public's understanding of organ donation are needed to reach the 2020 target of 80% consent rates. Further longitudinal monitoring is required.

As Denmark progresses towards a carbon neutral future, energy system models are required to address the challenges of the energy transition. This article describes design, input data and current usage of TIMES-DK, the first Danish energy system model that includes the complete national energy system, covering long-term technology investments. The article aims at explaining the modelling approach; highlighting strengths and reflecting upon limitations of the model; illustrating possible applications of TIMES-DK and inspiring new model developments. Some of the key strengths of the model include simultaneous optimisation of operation and investments across the complete energy system over the whole modelling horizon, explicit representation of the most important sectors of the economy, modular structure and the possibility of linking to a computable general equilibrium model for an additional insight on, e.g. public finance or CO 2 -leakage. TIMES-DK is being developed in close collaboration between an energy agency, a university and a consulting firm, to improve its robustness, relevance and impact on policy making. It allows for a wide range of applications including exploratory energy scenarios and policy analysis. To meet challenges of the future, further development of the model is needed and consequently the article provides references to ongoing projects addressing current development needs, such as improved representation of transport and flexible handling of the temporal dimension. To support a democratic and transparent process around decisions for the future Danish energy system, TIMES-DK should become available to interested parties.

Crashworthiness is an estimate of the occupant protection provided by a vehicle, namely the risk of a driver of a vehicle being killed or admitted to hospital when involved in a crash. This project further investigated the relationship between vehicle crashworthiness and both the year of manufacture and the year of first registration in New Zealand. Analysis was based on New Zealand light passenger vehicles manufactured from 1964 to 2017 and crashing during 1991 to 2017. Analysis by year of first registration in New Zealand was aimed at assessing crashworthiness trends in the fleet of used imported vehicles in New Zealand whilst analysis by year of manufacture examined trends in the fleet as a whole. Crashworthiness was measured by a combination of injury severity (of injured drivers) and injury risk (of drivers involved in crashes). The ratings were adjusted for the sex and age of the driver, the speed limit at the crash location, the number of vehicles involved in the crash and the year in which the crash occurred. The crashworthiness rating estimates the risk of the driver being killed or admitted to hospital when involved in a crash, to a degree of accuracy represented by the confidence limits of the rating in each case. Analysis of trends by year of vehicle manufacture showed statistically significant improvement in the crashworthiness of New Zealand light passenger vehicles over the years of manufacture studied. The most rapid improvement occurred over the years of manufacture from 1983 to 2007. Over this period, the risk of death or serious injury to drivers reduced by almost 77% for the fleet as a whole. During this period vehicle safety in New Zealand was affected by several competing effects: a general increase in both active and passive safety features in vehicles; increasing proportions of used imported vehicles entering the New Zealand fleet; and increases in the regulation of vehicle safety standards by the New Zealand Government. Estimates of crashworthiness trends in the used import vehicle fleet ...

Introduction: The effect of mental fatigue and sleep deprivation on surgeons has been questioned for decades. While other high-stake professions such as aviation and military have already established guidelines to restrict work hours, this trend has yet to reach the surgical profession. This study aimed to give a complete and up-to-date overview of the existing literature regarding the impact of mental fatigue on surgical performance, in order to facilitate further research and the development of guidelines. Methods: A systematic review was performed searching Medline and Embase. 31 studies regarding the relation between fatigue and surgical performance, using both real-life surgery and simulator studies, were included. Articles based on patients as well as on surgeons and surgical residents were included. Articles based on stress, muscle fatigue, learning, work hour restrictions or regulations were excluded from analysis, as were studies on medical students and non-surgical professions. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The studies were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: None of the studies on real-life surgery found a correlation between fatigue and surgical performance, but 45% of simulator studies found a negative correlation between fatigue and surgical performance, and 22% of simulator studies found a positive correlation. 8% of surgeon-based studies found a negative correlation, while 44,5% of intern-based studies did. Conclusion: In simulator studies, the effects of fatigue were mixed, but in real-life surgery, fatigue appears not to affect surgical performance. An explanation for this difference between simulator and real-life studies may lie in the fact that in real-life operations the stakes are higher and surgeons put in more effort to protect their performance against the detrimental effects of fatigue. However, surgical performance measures in real life operations were found to be rather crude, so it is unclear whether these measures were sufficiently sensitive to detect effects of fatigue if they do exist. We argue for more fine-grained performance measures in future research. Disclosure: Nothing to disclose

Looking at accounting reforms in central government, the paper investigates how key actors (senior managers responsible for developing and/or implementing change) account for the related change outcomes subsequent to implementation. Using aggregated data from three countries (UK, Italy and Austria), and a mixed-methods approach, the study investigates which rhetorical strategies are used to construct ex-post legitimation or delegitimation of the changes, and how these strategies are associated with different perceived outcomes of change. Building on previous literature, possible strategies for ex-post (de-)legitimation and outcomes of change are identified. The study finds that radical change (leading to new accounting systems bedding down with accompanying new interpretative schemes) is associated with ex-post legitimation based on rationalization. In contrast, incremental change (introducing new accounting tools, but not resulting in changed interpretative schemes) is often connected with narratives criticizing (or delegitimating) the change. The study contributes to the scant body of literature focusing on ex-post legitimation of accounting change. How managers justify change in relation to its outcomes provides useful insights for the current situation when, as a consequence of crisis and austerity, new roles and relevancies for accounting and control systems continue to emerge. It is argued that for change to be substantive, it is not only essential that the actual systems and structures of accounting are adjusted, but it is critical that the way people interpret and make sense of accounting information (and consequently take decisions) is also modified. The particular challenges of achieving this in a period of crisis are highlighted.

Understanding complex processes of landscape change is crucial to guide the development of future landscapes and land resources. Through Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping, we studied the processes of landscape change of six different environmental zones in Europe. Results show that landscapes are complex systems, with many interactions. Except for one, all regions show a strong decline in landscape quality. Dominant drivers are EU policy and the global economy, sometimes in conjunction with environmental drivers or the governance system. The process of change differs for all cases, through urbanisation or land abandonment in some cases, and agricultural intensification in others. The (un)intended effects of policies are difficult to predict. Although some EU Policies directly improve landscape quality, their indirect effects as well as other EU policies outweigh this positive influence and jointly result in a decrease of landscape quality. To counter these negative side effects, targeted landscape policies are urgently needed.

Conflicts of different nature surround the activity of small scale gold mining. After first addressing some of these conflicts, we subsequently focus on how the fact that the activity often takes place in remote and marginal areas, influences the ways these conflicts emerge and develop. We distinguish four different takes on the issue, and discuss each of these on the basis of case studies in Peru and Surinam. We finally suggest some general conclusions about the role of geographical and political distance as a structural feature in the conflicts around gold mining.