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In March 2001, Sir Gareth Roberts was asked by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretaries of State at the Department of Trade and Industry and at the Department for Education and Skills to undertake a review into the supply of science and engineering skills in the UK. The review was commissioned as part of the Government's productivity and innovation strategy. Sir Gareth Roberts' final report was published on 15 April. The report sets out a series of recommendations to the Government, employers and others with an interest in fostering science, engineering and innovation in the UK. The Government is currently considering Sir Gareth's report and recommendations. The full report is available below in Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF). If you do not have Adobe Acrobat installed on your computer you can download the software free of charge from the Adobe website.

Airborne fine particulate matter (PM2.5) represents the greatest ambient air pollution risk to health. Wildfires and managed burns, together referred to hereafter as 'landscape' fires, are a significant PM2.5 source in many regions worldwide, able to affect air quality in areas far away from the fires themselves. We use 0.125°, 3 hourly outputs (2016-2019) from the Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring System (CAMS) to investigate patterns of global population exposure to ambient surface level PM2.5, and specifically to the contribution coming from landscape fires. We calculate both the air quality impacts and annual average mortality at the level of the nation state, and our analysis highlights both the burden of poor air quality and the significance of landscape fire sources in developing nations in particular. We find 143 countries to have an average population weighted (PW) total PM2.5 surface level concentration exceeding the 10 µg.m-3 guideline recommended by WHO, with 67.2 million people annually exposed to PM2.5 levels classed as 'hazardous' (> 250.5 µg.m-3) according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) air quality index (AQI). Landscape fires alone result in 44 million people annually being exposed to air quality considered unhealthy (PM2.5 > 55 µg.m-3), and 4 million to that considered 'hazardous' to health (> 250.5 µg.m-3). Populations in central and west Africa and south and south east Asia are most affected by the landscape fire smoke, and eight countries exceed the WHO annual mean 10 µg.m-3 guideline from this source only - with the contribution from fires highest in Laos (61% of the total PM2.5), Democratic Republic of Congo (45%) and Sierra Leone (44%). Combining published dose-response functions with these landscape-fire PM2.5 contributions, we estimate that 677,745 premature deaths annually result from exposure to landscape fire smoke, with almost 39% of these in children under five. This mortality represents between 8 and 21% of the estimated 3.2 to 8.9 million people dying annually from outdoor air pollution exposure, highlighting landscape fires as a significant contributor. Our results indicate that environmental programmes aimed at lessening the use of fire in land clearance and agricultural residue management in developing nations would very likely result in significant co-benefits for health.

When properly implemented, Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT) achieve a high degree of internal validity. Yet, if an RCT is to inform policy, it is critical to establish external validity. This paper systematically reviews all RCTs conducted in developing countries and published in leading economic journals between 2009 and 2014 with respect to how they deal with external validity. Following Duflo, Glennerster, and Kremer (2008), the hazards to external validity we scrutinize are Hawthorne effects, general equilibrium effects, specific sample problems, and special care in treatment provision. Based on a set of objective indicators, we find that the majority of published RCTs does not discuss these hazards and many do not provide the necessary information to assess potential problems. The paper calls for including external validity dimensions in a more systematic reporting on the results of RCTs. This may create incentives to avoid overgeneralizing findings and help policy makers to interpret results appropriately. ; Bei sorgfältiger Implementierung weisen randomisierte kontrollierte Studien ein hohes Maß an interner Validität auf. Sollen die Ergebnisse eines RCT jedoch Politik informieren, ist es entscheidend externe Validität zu etablieren. Dieses Papier untersucht systematisch alle RCTs, die in Entwicklungsländern durchgeführt und in führenden ökonomischen Fachzeitschriften zwischen 2009 und 2014 publiziert wurden, auf ihren Umgang mit externer Validität. In Anlehnung an Duflo, Glennerster und Kremer (2008) untersuchen wir folgenden Gefahren für externe Validität: Hawthorne Effekte, generelle Gleichgewichtseffekte, Probleme spezifischer Stichproben und der Randomisierung geschuldeten Besonderheiten im Treatment. Unter Zuhilfenahme objektiver Indikatoren stellen wir fest, dass ein Großteil der publizierten Papiere nicht die Probleme externer Validität diskutiert und viele nicht die notwendigen Informationen zur Abschätzung dieser durch den Leser bereitstellen. Wir plädieren deshalb für ein Berichtswesen bei der Publikation von RCTs, das den verschiedenen Dimensionen externer Validität Rechnung trägt. Dadurch könnten Anreize entstehen, die zu starke Verallgemeinerung verhindern und Politikern helfen, Ergebnisse angemessen zu interpretieren.

When properly implemented, Randomized Controlled Trials (RCT) can achieve a high degree of internal validity. Yet, if an RCT is to inform policy interventions that extend beyond the experimental population, it is critical to establish external validity. In this paper, we first present a theoretical framework of external validity and identify the potential hazards that compromise generalizing results beyond the studied population, namely Hawthorne effects, general equilibrium effects, specific sample problems, and special care in the provision of the randomized treatment. Second, we reviewed all RCTs published in leading economic journals between 2009 and 2014 and scrutinized the way they deal with external validity. Based on a set of objective indicators, we find that many published RCTs do not discuss hazards to external validity and do not provide the information that is necessary to assess potential problems. Apparently, external validity is not an important matter of concern during the peer review process. To conclude, we call for a more systematic approach to report the results of RCTs, including external validity dimensions. ; Randomisierte kontrollierte Studien (RCTs) weisen bei sorgfältiger Implementierung ein hohes Maß an interner Validität auf. Sobald jedoch die Ergebnisse eines RCT auch auf andere Politikinterventionen verallgemeinert werden soll, bekommt die so genannte externe Validität eine zentrale Bedeutung. Dieses Papier stellt in einem ersten Schritt einen theoretischen Rahmen zur Betrachtung von externer Validität vor. Dabei werden potenzielle Probleme identifiziert, die die Generalisierung von Ergebnissen aus RCTs über die eigentliche Stichprobe hinaus beeinträchtigen können. Wir unterscheiden zwischen Hawthorne Effekten, generellen Gleichgewichtseffekten, Problemen spezifischer Stichproben und der Randomisierung geschuldeten Besonderheiten im Treatment. In einem weiteren Schritt untersuchen wir im Rahmen eines Systematic Reviews alle RCTs, die zwischen 2009 und 2014 in den führenden ökonomischen Fachzeitschriften publiziert wurden, auf ihren Umgang mit externer Validität. Unter Zuhilfenahme ausschließlich objektiver Indikatoren stellen wir fest, dass viele der publizierten Papiere weder die Probleme externer Validität diskutieren noch die notwendigen Informationen zur Abschätzung dieser durch den Leser bereitstellen. Externe Validität scheint demnach während des Peer-Review-Verfahrens von untergeordneter Bedeutung zu sein. Wir plädieren deshalb für ein Berichtswesen bei der Publikation von RCTs, das den verschiedenen Dimensionen externer Validität Rechnung trägt.

ABSTRACTLittle is known about job matching in labour markets with mass unemployment. Using a unique data set of labour market experiences of young African job participants in South Africa, our findings show that accessing jobs through various employment channels is non‐random. Specifically, different individual, household, job and firm characteristics are correlated with the probability of accessing the first job via a particular channel, indicating that firms and/or job seekers select themselves into the use of these channels in their recruitment and job search strategies. Further research using panel data and/or matched employer–employee data is needed to unpack these associations. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Purpose: Previous research has championed sport as a form of recovery for military veterans. Nevertheless, there is a lack of research on military veterans' experiences of international sporting competitions. The aim of this study was to explore military veterans' experiences of participation at the 2016 Invictus Games. Methods: Fifteen military veterans (10 male, 5 female) who participated in the 2016 Invictus Games were recruited. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore experiences pre, during, and post-competition, and analyzed using applied thematic analysis. Results: Three overarching themes were identified: Sources of motivation consisted of a range of veteran specific motives for getting involved with and continuing participation with the Games. Team and culture stressors encapsulated organizational demands related to the attitudes and behaviors of a sports team operating within the context of the Invictus Games. Impact of the games comprised veterans' perceptions of positive and negative consequences of being involved with the Games. Conclusions: The study provides insight into the multitude of motives military veterans have for engaging in sport, whilst also demonstrating the novel organizational demands that veteran athletes encounter. The findings also offer preliminary insight regarding the impact of the Games and the potential for psychoeducation program implementation to support athletes post-Games.Implications for Rehabilitation The Invictus Games were created for military veterans to use the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation, and generate wider understanding and respect. Findings highlight that military veterans have unique motives to compete at the Invictus Games, including "reconnection with previously military life" and "being a role model". Whilst veterans encounter team and culture organizational stressors while competing, they share similar post-Games experiences to full-time athletes, including the concept of "post-games blues". Experiences shared by military veterans at the Invictus Games can aid in the promotion of sport as a viable form of recovery. Primary and secondary stress management strategies should be implemented with military veterans to reduce organizational stressors and their responses to them. Psychoeducation programmes should be introduced pre-Games to better prepare military veterans for their post-Games experience.

This article explores consumers' experiences of place atmospheres through a study into football matches, a context in which atmosphere is pertinent. While existing marketing literature concerning atmospherics largely conceptualises atmosphere as controllable, singular, and confined to the consumption environment and experience under investigation, we instead contribute a more spatially and temporally porous theorisation. Drawing insights from both consumer research and geography surrounding affect, embodiment and atmosphere, we unpack the spatial and temporal aspects of atmosphere in relation to consumers' past memories, disrupted routines, and anticipations of future. The article contributes, therefore, to bourgeoning literature within marketing and consumer research regarding the consumption in – and of – places.

This study explored patterns of change in stress variables (i.e., stressors, appraisals, emotions) encountered by wounded, injured, and sick military veterans in the build up to, during, and following an international sporting competition. The study also examined interactions between psychosocial variables and salivary biomarkers of stress and how these relate to veterans' health, well-being, illness, and performance. 40 Invictus Games (IG) athletes and a control group of 20 military veteran athletes completed questionnaires at seven time points over a 12-week period. Furthermore, participants provided morning and evening saliva samples at four time points to measure cortisol and secretory immunoglobulin A. Multilevel growth curve analyses revealed significant changes in growth trajectories of stress-related variables. For example, team and culture stressors and anger and dejection emotions significantly increased in the build up to competition, whilst challenge appraisals and excitement and happiness emotions significantly decreased over the same time-frame. A number of the stress related variables also predicted performance, well-being, and mental health. Specifically, organizational stressors and threat appraisals were found to negatively relate to performance, well-being, and mental health. Furthermore, whilst challenge appraisals and problem focused coping positively related to veterans' well-being, adopting emotion-focused and avoidance coping strategies negatively predicted well-being and mental health. Turning to emotions, experiencing anger, anxiety, and dejection negatively related to mental health, well-being and performance; whereas happiness and excitement displayed a positive relationship with these outcomes. The findings also highlighted that organizational stressor intensity was positively related to cortisol exposure at competition. To conclude, this study not only provides a novel, longitudinal, interdisciplinary insight into psychological and biological markers of the stress response as it ...