The benefits of a health impact assessment in relation to fuel poverty: assessing Luton's affordable warmth strategy and the need for a national strategy

The links between fuel poverty and poor health are well documented, yet there is no statutory requirement on local authorities to develop fuel poverty strategies, which tend to be patchy nationally and differ substantially in quality. Fuel poverty starts from the perspective of income, even though interventions can improve health. The current public health agenda calls for more partnership-based, cost-effective strategies based on sound evidence. Fuel poverty represents a key area where there is currently little local evidence quantifying and qualifying health gain arising from strategic interventions. As a result, this initial study sought to apply the principles of a health impact assessment to Luton’s Affordable Warmth Strategy, exploring the potential to identify health impact arising – as a baseline for future research – in the context of the public health agenda. A national strategy would help ensure the promotion of targeted fuel poverty strategies.

Assessing the scalability of multiphysics tools for modeling solidification and melting processes on parallel clusters

A comprehensive solution of solidification/melting processes requires the simultaneous representation of free surface fluid flow, heat transfer, phase change, nonlinear solid mechanics and, possibly, electromagnetics together with their interactions, in what is now known as multiphysics simulation. Such simulations are computationally intensive and the implementation of solution strategies for multiphysics calculations must embed their effective parallelization. For some years, together with our collaborators, we have been involved in the development of numerical software tools for multiphysics modeling on parallel cluster systems. This research has involved a combination of algorithmic procedures, parallel strategies and tools, plus the design of a computational modeling software environment and its deployment in a range of real world applications. One output from this research is the three-dimensional parallel multiphysics code, PHYSICA. In this paper we report on an assessment of its parallel scalability on a range of increasingly complex models drawn from actual industrial problems, on three contemporary parallel cluster systems.

Assessing the performance of crack detection tests for solder joints

This paper presents both modelling and experimental test data to characterise the performance of four non-destructive tests. The focus is on determining the presence and rough magnitude of thermal fatigue cracks within the solder joints for a surface mount resistor on a strip of FR4 PCB. The tests all operate by applying mechanical loads to the PCB and monitoring the strain response at the top of the resistor. The modelling results show that of the four tests investigated, three are sensitive to the presence of a crack in the joint and its magnitude. Hence these tests show promise in being able to detect cracking caused by accelerated testing. The experimental data supports these results although more validation is required.

Assessing the suitability of ship design for human factors issues associated with evacuation and normal operations

Evaluating ship layout for human factors (HF) issues using simulation software such as maritimeEXODUS can be a long and complex process. The analysis requires the identification of relevant evaluation scenarios; encompassing evacuation and normal operations; the development of appropriate measures which can be used to gauge the performance of crew and vessel and finally; the interpretation of considerable simulation data. In this paper we present a systematic and transparent methodology for assessing the HF performance of ship design which is both discriminating and diagnostic. The methodology is demonstrated using two variants of a hypothetical naval ship.

A review of the rationales for corporate risk management: fashion or the need?

This paper presents the extensive literature survey based both on theoretical rationales for hedging as well as the empirical evidence that support the implications of the theory regarding the arguments for the corporate risk management relevance and its influence on the company’s value. The survey of literature presented in this paper has revealed that there are two chief classes of rationales for corporate decision to hedge - maximisation of shareholder value or maximisation of managers’ private utility. The paper concludes that, the total benefit of hedging is the combination of all these motives and, if the costs of using corporate risk management instruments are less than the benefits provided via the avenues mentioned in this paper, or any other benefit perceived by the market, then risk management is a shareholder-value enhancing activity.

Local public finance in Central and Eastern Europe: assessing the first decade

[Taken from book jacket] This book explores the system of financing local governments in selected countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Using evidence from the last two decades, the authors, experts on their particular countries, describe the development of the current local government finance system in each nation, and the major challenges and policy options they face. The contributions in this book provide comprehensive coverage of a transitional Europe that encompasses both modern local public finance theory and specific applications in the target countries.