Peak residential electricity demand and social practices: Deriving flexibility and greenhouse gas intensities from time use and locational data

Peak residential electricity demand takes place when people conduct simultaneous activities at specific times of the day. Social practices generate patterns of demand and can help understand why, where, with whom and when energy services are used at peak time. The aim of this work is to make use of recent UK time use and locational data to better understand: (i) how a set of component indices on synchronisation, variation, sharing and mobility indicate flexibility to shift demand; and (ii) the links between people’s activities and peaks in greenhouse gases’ intensities. The analysis is based on a recent UK time use dataset, providing 1 minute interval data from GPS devices and 10 minute data from diaries and questionnaires for 175 data days comprising 153 respondents. Findings show how greenhouse gases’ intensities and flexibility to shift activities vary throughout the day. Morning peaks are characterised by high levels of synchronisation, shared activities and occupancy, with low variation of activities. Evening peaks feature low synchronisation, and high spatial mobility variation of activities. From a network operator perspective, the results indicate that periods with lower flexibility may be prone to more significant local network loads due to the synchronization of electricity-demanding activities.

HR attributions and the dual commitment of outsourced IT workers

Purpose – Outsourced information technology (IT) workers establish two different employment relationships: one with the outsourcing company that hires them and another with the client organization where they work daily. The attitudes that an employee has towards both organisations may be influenced by the interpretations or attributions that employees make about the reasons behind the human resource (HR) management practices implemented by the outsourcing company. This paper aims to propose that commitment‐focused HR attributions are positively and control‐focused HR attributions are negatively related to the affective commitment to the client organization, through the affective commitment to the outsourcing company. Design/methodology/approach – These hypotheses were tested with a sample of 158 highly skilled outsourced employees from the IT sector. Data were analyzed with structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings – The paper's hypotheses were supported. It can conclude that, if an employee interprets the HR practices as part of a commitment‐focused strategy of the outsourcing company, it has clear attitudinal benefits. The study found that the relationship between HR attributions and the commitment to the client organization is mediated by the commitment to the outsourcing company. Practical implications – These findings hint at the critical role of outsourcing companies in managing the careers of these highly marketable employees. Originality/value – This paper is the first to apply the concept of HR attributions to contingent employment literature in general and to outsourced IT workers in particular.

Work and Excessive Sleepiness among Brazilian Evening High School Students Effects on Days Off

Previous studies have revealed that students who work and study build up sleep deficits during the workweek, which can trigger a sleep rebound during days off. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of working/non-working on sleepiness during days off among high school students. The study population, aged 14-21 years, attended evening classes in Sao Paulo, Brazil. For the study, the students completed questionnaires on living conditions, health, and work; wore actigraphs; and completed the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS). To predict sleepiness, a logistic regression analysis was performed. Excessive sleepiness was observed on the first day off among working students. Results suggest that working is a significant predictor for sleepiness and that two shifts of daily systematic activities, study and work, might lead to excessive daytime sleepiness on the first day off. Further, this observed excessive sleepiness may reflect the sleep debt accumulated during the workweek.

Teaching Mathematics in English to Swedish Speaking Students : The Use of Second Language Teaching Practices in the Teaching of Mathematics in English to Swedish Speaking Students in Lower Secondary School

Over 20,000 Swedish lower high school students are currently learning mathematics in English but little research has been conducted in this area. This study looks into the question of how much second language learner training teachers teaching mathematics in English to Swedish speaking students have acquired and how many of those teachers are using effective teaching practices for second language learners. The study confirms earlier findings that report few teachers receive training in second language learning but indicates that some of the teaching practices shown to be effective with second language learners are being used in some Swedish schools

Gestão do relacionamento entre franqueadores e franqueados e o grau de maturidade da rede : estudo comparativo de casos no segmento de alimentação no mercado brasileiro

O sistema de franquias vem recebendo um destaque cada vez maior nas mídias voltadas para negócios devido ao seu grande desenvolvimento tanto no Brasil quanto no restante do mundo, apresentando um alto índice de crescimento, além de possuir um grande potencial para atingir patamares ainda maiores. Com base nas teorias da agência e de recursos da empresa, foram descritas as principais abordagens sobre este setor, ampliando o conceito de contrato como suporte da relação entre franqueadores e franqueados para uma análise qualitativa sobre o relacionamento entre as partes, identificando ainda suas evoluções ao longo do tempo, vantagens e desvantagens, modelos e desafios de gestão. Um estudo de âmbito nacional realizado por Toledo e Proença (2005) enalteceu que um dos grandes motivos que geram o insucesso de uma rede de franquias é a falta de comprometimento na manutenção do bom relacionamento do franqueador para com seus franqueados. E este é o tema central deste trabalho, com o objetivo de dar a devida importância a este tópico, mostrando como ele é influenciado pelo grau de maturidade da rede e a sua relevância para o sucesso do negócio. Através de um estudo comparativo de casos, de caráter exploratório, tendo como principal forma de coleta de dados as entrevistas presenciais realizadas com franqueadores e franqueados de duas redes no segmento de alimentação brasileiro, foram obtidos resultados quanto a forma com que o relacionamento tem sido gerido por ambas as partes, em diversos âmbitos, e a sua relação com o estágio de maturidade em que a rede se encontra, tornando o estudo relevante para o mercado, com contribuições tanto acadêmicas, como a congruência de pesquisas, quanto corporativas, como a conexão de boas práticas e lições aprendidas com os conceitos abordados.

Nervos: rede de discursos e práticas de cuidado na atenção básica no município de Natal/RN

The Primary Health Care and one of its main strategies, the Family Health Strategy (ESF), are framed as the gateway to the Public Health System (SUS). Thus, most of the incident and prevalent health problems in the population attended should be solved at this level of care, including psychological suffering, and the so-called complaint of nerves. Nerves and nervous denote a complexity that is not always well comprehended by health workers, in such a way that the care to this kind of problem is usually inadequate. In this line of thought, the general objective of this study is to analyze the network of discourses and the care to the psychological suffering, expressed as nerves, in SUS daily Primary Health Care. Besides and more specifically, it aims at identifying the principles and guidelines of the Primary Health Care in mental health; to investigate health workers positioning before psychological suffering and complaints of nerves, and also analyze different actions and practices of care carried out in different Health Units towards complaints like nerves. Institutional Ethnography was the theoreticalmethodological perspective adopted for the work. This approach seeks to understand and analyze the institutional relationships in a particular context considering sociostructural influences and power relations, as well as daily discourses and practices. Based on interviews with health professionals, informal conversations and observations in six Health Units with ESF teams from different sanitary districts in Natal/RN, it was possible to check that the index of complaint of nerves is high. The referral to psychologists and psychiatrists, as well as the prescription of psychotropic drugs appear as the most common intervention at this level of care. In general, the participants complain that they have poor specialized knowledge about the theme of mental health. They face the problem of bad work conditions and the lack of institutional support, which make actions of illnesses prevention and health promotion even more difficult. Besides, there are different ongoing practices such as meetings for hypertensive and aged people, walk, visit, round-table discussions and community therapy. However, not all of these actions are aimed at the care of psychological suffering. It is observed that the Matrix Support, which is a methodological strategy of supervision and follow up forcases of mental health, hasn t been totally implemented in the municipal system, although it is a tool that has been used by psychologists in some Health Units in the city. It was also verified that the health care practices to the problem of nerves strongly depend on the professional s commitment with the PSF guidelines and on mental health policies, in addition to continued support, when available, from other professional who works as matrix supporter

Gestão do conhecimento na educação ambiental: estudo de casos em programas de educação ambiental em universidades brasileiras

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

More of the same: high functional redundancy in stream fish assemblages from tropical agroecosystems

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Nursing care practices at an outpatient care center from an integrative perspective

Aim: to analyze nursing care practices at a Specialized Outpatient Care Center from the perspective of an integrative health care activity. Method: Interviews with 24 nursing professionals were undertaken. For data analysis, Thematic Content Analysis as proposed by Bardin was applied, resulting in the following themes: the team size and its commitment to health care; professional practices and activity of the nursing team. Results: The size of the nursing team was considered insufficient, which compromises the quality of care and results in work overload and dissatisfaction of the nursing professionals. On the other hand, they were satisfied with the tasks performed day-to-day and related integrality to individual care, considered it essential and usually practiced it daily. Conclusion: It is considered that the nursing team has the potential and commitment to develop their care practice combined with the integrative perspective, and therefore providing quality health care to the population.

Work Precariousness and Risk of Accidents in Civil Construction: A study based on the Collective Work Analysis

This paper aims to describe the construction workers' activities, as well as their perceptions about risks and workload. The study, based on the Collective Work Analysis, is part of a broader public policies project for the improvement of SIVAT (Surveillance System of Work Accidents) - in the city of Piracicaba (Southeastern Brazil). Civil construction was prioritized given the epidemiological magnitude of the occurrence of work accidents and the limited efficacy of traditional surveillance initiatives in this sector due to informal employment practices, outsourcing, high staff turnover, etc. The workers have a high level of awareness concerning the risk of accidents, but they believe that the main preventive measures hinder or even make it impossible for them to carry out the tasks. Our findings question the efficacy of traditional training for adherence to safety practices, thus highlighting the need for a transformative pedagogy for preventive practices and the health promotion of workers.

Food choices and practices during pregnancy of immigrant and Aboriginal women in Canada: a study protocol

Abstract Background Facilitating the provision of appropriate health care for immigrant and Aboriginal populations in Canada is critical for maximizing health potential and well-being. Numerous reports describe heightened risks of poor maternal and birth outcomes for immigrant and Aboriginal women. Many of these outcomes may relate to food consumption/practices and thus may be obviated through provision of resources which suit the women's ethnocultural preferences. This project aims to understand ethnocultural food and health practices of Aboriginal and immigrant women, and how these intersect with respect to the legacy of Aboriginal colonialism and to the social contexts of cultural adaptation and adjustment of immigrants. The findings will inform the development of visual tools for health promotion by practitioners. Methods/Design This four-phase study employs a case study design allowing for multiple means of data collection and different units of analysis. Phase 1 consists of a scoping review of the literature. Phases 2 and 3 incorporate pictorial representations of food choices (photovoice in Phase 2) with semi-structured photo-elicited interviews (in Phase 3). The findings from Phases 1-3 and consultations with key stakeholders will generate key understandings for Phase 4, the production of culturally appropriate visual tools. For the scoping review, an emerging methodological framework will be utilized in addition to systematic review guidelines. A research librarian will assist with the search strategy and retrieval of literature. For Phases 2 and 3, recruitment of 20-24 women will be facilitated by team member affiliations at perinatal clinics in one of the city's most diverse neighbourhoods. The interviews will reveal culturally normative practices surrounding maternal food choices and consumption, including how women negotiate these practices within their own worldview and experiences. A structured and comprehensive integrated knowledge translation plan has been formulated. Discussion The findings of this study will provide practitioners with an understanding of the cultural differences that affect women's dietary choices during maternity. We expect that the developed resources will be of immediate use within the women's units and will enhance counseling efforts. Wide dissemination of outputs may have a greater long term impact in the primary and secondary prevention of these high risk conditions.

Professional competences of nurse to work in Intensive Care Units: an integrative review

This study aimed to identify and analyze nurses' competences to work at Intensive Care Units-ICU. An integrative review method was used, and data were collected in LILACS, SciELO and BDENF, from August to October 2010. Ten articles were identified, published in the last 12 years. Data grouping permitted the construction of thematic units related to nurses' competences: nursing care management, high-complexity nursing care delivery, decision making, leadership, communication, continuing/permanent education, human resource management, material resource management. The professional competences identified can support the outline of guidelines to constitute the profile of nursing working in intensive care units and drive/mobilize the improvement of nursing care practices.

Uno Two Drei: la televisione nella promozione linguistica per i giovani. Un caso italiano nel contesto europeo.

The aim of this work is to assess the effectiveness of a project carried out in the Autonomous Province of Trento to promote language learning among young people. The project consisted in a television quiz show featuring games in Italian, English and German. Eight classes from five high schools took part in the game show, which was aired between November 2014 and January 2015 by the local channel Trentino TV. Since multilingualism has been part of the European Union policy, legislation and practices for many decades, the first chapter of this dissertation offers an overview of the main EU language education policies which seek to promote language learning among all citizens. It then focuses on the commitment of the EU and its member States to find new strategies to show the benefits of language learning outside formal education, also using both old and new media. Some TV and radio shows on multilingualism broadcast in Italy and in other EU countries are also briefly described. The second chapter is devoted to Uno Two Drei, the quiz show created by the Autonomous Province of Trento and Trentino TV to promote the learning of English and German among students while enhancing their personal growth and development. The role of everyone involved in the project is outlined, as well as the concept and planning phases and the realization stage. The third chapter focuses largely on the impacts of the initiative on the target group, namely 17-year-old students. Opinions of the participants were first collected in January, when a final meeting was held between the organizers and the schools. Since the researcher has managed the German part of the project, in the following months a questionnaire was administered to the 48 students who played in the German team and to their teachers as well. From both the meeting and the questionnaires it has emerged that the main goals of the initiative were achieved: generally speaking, students have been motivated to study languages and learn new things, the bonds between them have been strengthened and their sense of solidarity has been enhanced.

High self-esteem prospectively predicts better work conditions and outcomes

We examined the reciprocal prospective relations between self-esteem and work conditions and outcomes, including justice at work, support at work, work stressors, job satisfaction, job success, and counterproductive work behavior. Data came from two independent longitudinal studies, including five assessments over an 8-month period (N = 663, age 16–62 years) and three assessments over a 2-year period (N = 600, age 22–51 years), respectively. Across both studies, high self-esteem prospectively predicted better work conditions and outcomes, whereas nearly all of the reverse effects (i.e., work conditions and outcomes predicting self-esteem) were nonsignificant. The results held for both male and female participants. If future research supports the causality of the self-esteem effects, interventions aimed at improving self-esteem might be useful in increasing an individual’s well-being and success at work, which consequently might be beneficial for employers.