Influence of Firms’ Environmental Management and Community Involvement Programs in their Employees and in the Community

To assure enduring success, firms need to generate economic value with respect for the environment and social value. They also need to be aware of the needs and expectations of relevant stakeholders and incorporate them in their business strategies and programs. These challenges imply that engineers should take into consideration societal, health and safety,environmental and commercial issues in their professional activity. This investigation accesses the influence of firms’ environmental management programs and community involvement programs on their own employees and in the community, with a focus on small and medium companies. Based on a quantitative research, the findings suggest that firms that invest both in environmental management programs and in community involvement programs have a higher involvement of their own employees with the community, while at the same time receiving more feedback (positive, but also negative) from the community, stressing the need to pay special attention to their communication policies.

Establishment of environmental and biological bases to optimise the production of the European clam Ruditapes decussatus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Dissertação para obtenção do Grau de Doutor em Ambiente

Fulminant hepatitis with microvesicular steatosis (a histologic comparison of cases occurring in Brazil - Labrea hepatitis - and in central Africa - Bangui hepatitis)

A similar histopathologic picture of fatal hepatitis associated with widespread acute fatty changes in hepatocytes and single-cell necrosis was seen in epidemic cases occurring in two distinct equatorial areas having high prevalences of HBV and HDV infections. The cases were previously considered to be two different entities; Labrea hepatitis in Brazil, and Bangui hepatitis in the Central African Republic. However, the histopathologic findings suggest that they are pathogenetically and etiologically related to HBVand HDV infections, probably modified by some as yet unknown factor (s) present in equatorial forest zones.

Analysis and visualization of energy use for university campus

The reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is one of the big global challenges for the next decades due to its severe impact on the atmosphere that leads to a change in the climate and other environmental factors. One of the main sources of greenhouse gas is energy consumption, therefore a number of initiatives and calls for awareness and sustainability in energy use are issued among different types of institutional and organizations. The European Council adopted in 2007 energy and climate change objectives for 20% improvement until 2020. All European countries are required to use energy with more efficiency. Several steps could be conducted for energy reduction: understanding the buildings behavior through time, revealing the factors that influence the consumption, applying the right measurement for reduction and sustainability, visualizing the hidden connection between our daily habits impacts on the natural world and promoting to more sustainable life. Researchers have suggested that feedback visualization can effectively encourage conservation with energy reduction rate of 18%. Furthermore, researchers have contributed to the identification process of a set of factors which are very likely to influence consumption. Such as occupancy level, occupants behavior, environmental conditions, building thermal envelope, climate zones, etc. Nowadays, the amount of energy consumption at the university campuses are huge and it needs great effort to meet the reduction requested by European Council as well as the cost reduction. Thus, the present study was performed on the university buildings as a use case to: a. Investigate the most dynamic influence factors on energy consumption in campus; b. Implement prediction model for electricity consumption using different techniques, such as the traditional regression way and the alternative machine learning techniques; and c. Assist energy management by providing a real time energy feedback and visualization in campus for more awareness and better decision making. This methodology is implemented to the use case of University Jaume I (UJI), located in Castellon, Spain.

Ecoepidemiology and biology of Eratyrus mucronatus Stål, 1859 (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae), a sylvatic vector of Chagas disease in the Brazilian Amazon

Introduction Eratyrus mucronatus Stål, 1859 is a wild triatomine vector of Trypanosoma cruzi Chagas, 1909. However, little is known regarding the biology and ecoepidemiology of this triatomine in the Brazilian Amazon. The present study describes the biology of E. mucronatus grown under laboratory conditions and the epidemiological aspects of its natural breeding sites. Methods Five colonies were monitored in the field for 3 years. Temperature and humidity measurements were taken in the mornings and afternoons at the natural breeding sites, and the behavior and distribution of the nymphs and adults were observed in the wild colony. We also monitored the life cycle under controlled laboratory conditions. Results Some factors that were considered decisive for the establishment of these colonies were present at all of the colonies studied in the field. These factors included an active termite nest, a vertebrate for repast, and dry and shaded substrates with temperatures of 24-28°C and with humidity of 80-90%. A generation was developed in 274 days under these microclimatic conditions in the laboratory. Conclusions The climatic variables described in the field indicate that these environmental parameters have a limiting effect on the dispersal and colonization of E. mucronatus to new environments. In addition, the long period of development to adulthood demonstrates that only one generation can develop per year even under the more favorable laboratory conditions.

Assessing the production of jet mix columns using alkali activated waste based on mechanical and financial performance and CO2 (eq) emissions

Recent research has proved the potential of alkaline activated fly-ash for soil stabilisation. However, such studies have not focused on the link between financial, mechanical and environmental aspects of this solution, but only on their absolute mechanical properties. The present paper characterises the mechanical behaviour of a large spectrum of activator-ash-soil combinations used to build jet mixing columns, analysing also the cost and CO2 (eq) emissions. The concern with these two vectors forced a decrease in the quantity of stabilising agent added to the soil, relatively to previous research, and the effects of such low quantities have not yet been published. However, the results clearly showed a significant improve in strength, still well above the average values expected when improving the stressstrain behaviour of a weak soil. Uniaxial compressive strength tests were used to assess the effects of the fly-ash percentage, the alkalieash ratio and the water content. The carbon calculator recently developed by the European Federation of Foundation Contractors and the Deep Foundations Institute was used to quantify the CO2 (eq) emissions associated with this technique. The financial cost was estimated based on the experience of a major Portuguese contractor. For comparison purposes, soil cement mixtures were also analysed, using similar conditions and tools used for the soil-ash analysis. Results showed that the cement and ash solutions are very similar in terms of overall performance, with some advantage of the former regarding financial cost, and a significant advantage of the latter regarding the CO2 (eq) emissions. This new grout, although it is in an embryonic stage, it has the potential for broader developments in the field.

The importance of risk assessment in the context of investment project management: a case study

Risk management is an important component of project management. Nevertheless, such process begins with risk assessment and evaluation. In this research project, a detailed analysis of the methodologies used to treat risks in investment projects adopted by the Banco da Amazonia S.A. was made. Investment projects submitted to the FNO (Constitutional Fund for Financing the North) during 2011 and 2012 were considered for that purpose. It was found that the evaluators of this credit institution use multiple indicators for risk assessment which assume a central role in terms of decision-making and contribute for the approval or the rejection of the submitted projects; namely, the proven ability to pay, the financial records of project promotors, several financial restrictions, level of equity, level of financial indebtedness, evidence of the existence of a consumer market, the proven experience of the partners/owners in the business, environmental aspects, etc. Furthermore, the bank has technological systems to support the risk assessment process, an internal communication system and a unique system for the management of operational risk.

Careers, identities and professionalization. A study on doctors about their social representations related to the labor market today and its foreseeable future

This study is in line with the analyses of university and working career in their interaction in relation with conditioning factors. It comprises two central issues: the issue of identity bound to the issue of professionalization within the domain of training and employment. Nowadays, professionalization of the individuals, inside a troubled occupational world, demands the implementation of mechanisms favoring the development of both the individuals and the institution in which they work. All this has an impact at the local, regional and even national levels. Three levels of analysis interplay from a sui generis perspective: macro-meso-micro-macro (Aparicio, 2005; 2007a; 2007b, 2013a, 2014, 2015 b, d – See the Three- Dimensional Spiral of Sense Theory). The aim was to be aware of the doctors’ representations regarding the value of such degree under the present “degree devaluation”, and its impact on the professional future as well as on the core issues of the labor market which need urgent measures with a view to a belter interaction between the two systems. The methodology used was quanti-qualitative (semi-structured questionnaires, interviews, and hierarchical evocations). The population consisted of doctors (2005-2012) from the National University of Cuyo, in Argentina. The results helped us understand the nucleus of such representations and the peripheral aspects by career and institution, thus revealing professional and disciplinary identities. The professional identities show the situated needs in terms of professionalization within the different contexts and, particularly, within the labor market.

Environmental management systems implementation

All organisations make some contribution to the degradation of the environment through their use of resources and production of waste. Environmental management systems (EMS) standards can provide a tool for companies to systematically reduce their environmental impacts. ISO 14001 was published in 1996. This fitted in with plans of the case study company to take proactive action in this area, even though there was no legislative requirement for them to do so. As EMS implementation was a new area at the time, appropriate methodologies were developed to address different aspects of the implementation, and ISO 14001 was successfully implemented in the company. The results of the primary research included: ♦ Drawing up a methodology for identifying and interpreting the environmental legislation that may have an impact on the organisation and compiling a register of such regulations. ♦ Developing a robust methodology for assessing significant environmental aspects and impacts and applying this to the software company. ♦ Establishing objectives and targets for those aspects identified as significant and implementing environmental management programmes to meet these. ♦ Developing an internal environmental audit procedure based on auditing against the significant aspects. ♦ Integrating areas of the EMS with the existing quality management system in order to avoid duplication of effort. ♦ Undergoing an external assessment process in order to achieve certification of the system. The thesis concludes that the systematic approach defined in ISO 14001 provided a mechanism that the organisation was able to adopt to bring about improvement in its environmental performance. The system was based on a thorough evaluation of the organisation's significant environmental aspects in order to bring about a reduction in its negative impacts. The ISO 14001 requirement for continual improvement is the key driver of the system, and this is what differentiates it from ISO 9000.

El Niño in Peru : biology and culture over 10,000 years : Papers from the VIII Annual A. Watson Armour III Spring Symposium, May 28-29, 1999, Chicago / Jonathan Haas and Michael O. Dillon, editors.

n.s. no.43(2003)

Pollution and pollutant transport in the geosphere - An introduction to the symposium

Environmental research in earth sciences is focused on the geosphere, i.e. (1) waters and sediments of rivers, lakes and oceans, and (2) soils and underlying shallow rock formations,both water-unsaturated and -saturated. The subsurface is studied down to greater depths at sites where waste repositories or tunnels are planned and mining activities exist. In recent years, earth scientists have become more and more involved in pollution problems related to their classical field of interest, e.g. groundwater, ore deposits, or petroleum and non-metal natural deposits (gravel, clay, cement precursors). Major pollutants include chemical substances, radioactive isotopes and microorganisms. Mechanisms which govern the transport of pollutants are of physical, chemical (dissolution, precipitation, adsorption), or microbiological (transformation) nature. Land-use planning must reflect a sustainable development and sound scientific criteria. Today's environmental pollution requires working teams with an interdisciplinary background in earth sciences, hydrology, chemistry, biology, physics as well as engineering. This symposium brought together for the first time in Switzerland earth and soil scientists, physicists and chemists, to present and discuss environmental issues concerning the geosphere.

A collaborative approach for incorporating forensic case data into crime investigation using criminal intelligence analysis and visualisation

There is an increasing awareness that the articulation of forensic science and criminal investigation is critical to the resolution of crimes. However, models and methods to support an effective collaboration between these partners are still poorly expressed or even lacking. Three propositions are borrowed from crime intelligence methods in order to bridge this gap: (a) the general intelligence process, (b) the analyses of investigative problems along principal perspectives: entities and their relationships, time and space, quantitative aspects and (c) visualisation methods as a mode of expression of a problem in these dimensions. Indeed, in a collaborative framework, different kinds of visualisations integrating forensic case data can play a central role for supporting decisions. Among them, link-charts are scrutinised for their abilities to structure and ease the analysis of a case by describing how relevant entities are connected. However, designing an informative chart that does not bias the reasoning process is not straightforward. Using visualisation as a catalyser for a collaborative approach integrating forensic data thus calls for better specifications.

Public Policy and Ageing in Northern Ireland: Identifying Levers for Change

Public Policy and Ageing in Northern Ireland: Identifying Levers for Change Judith Cross, Policy Officer with the Centre for Ageing Research Development in Ireland (CARDI)��������Introduction Identifying a broad range of key public policy initiatives as they relate to age can facilitate discussion and create new knowledge within and across government to maximise the opportunities afforded by an ageing population. This article looks at how examining the current public policy frameworks in Northern Ireland can present opportunities for those working in this field for the benefit of older people. Good policy formulation needs to be evidence-based, flexible, innovative and look beyond institutional boundaries. Bringing together architects and occupational therapists, for example, has the potential to create better and more effective ways relevant to health, housing, social services and government departments. Traditional assumptions of social policy towards older people have tended to be medically focused with an emphasis on care and dependency. This in turn has consequences for the design and delivery of services for older people. It is important that these assumptions are challenged as changes in thinking and attitudes can lead to a redefinition of ageing, resulting in policies and practices that benefit older people now and in the future. Older people, their voices and experiences, need to be central to these developments. The Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland The Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland (CARDI) (1) is a not for profit organisation developed by leaders from the ageing field across Ireland (North and South) including age sector focused researchers and academics, statutory and voluntary, and is co-chaired by Professor Robert Stout and Professor Davis Coakley. CARDI has been established to provide a mechanism for greater collaboration among age researchers, for wider dissemination of ageing research information and to advance a research agenda relevant to the needs of older people in Ireland, North and South. Operating at a strategic level and in an advisory capacity, CARDI�۪s work focuses on promoting research co-operation across sectors and disciplines and concentrates on influencing the strategic direction of research into older people and ageing in Ireland. It has been strategically positioned around the following four areas: Identifying and establishing ageing research priorities relevant to policy and practice in Ireland, North and South;Promoting greater collaboration and co-operation on ageing research in order to build an ageing research community in Ireland, North and South;Stimulating research in priority areas that can inform policy and practice relating to ageing and older people in Ireland, North and South;Communicating strategic research issues on ageing to raise the profile of ageing research in Ireland, North and South, and its role in informing policy and practice. Context of Ageing in Ireland Ireland �۪s population is ageing. One million people aged 60 and over now live on the island of Ireland. By 2031, it is expected that Northern Ireland�۪s percentage of older people will increase to 28% and the Republic of Ireland�۪s to 23%. The largest increase will be in the older old; the number aged 80+ is expected to triple by the same date. However while life expectancy has increased, it is not clear that life without disability and ill health has increased to the same extent. A growing number of older people may face the combined effects of a decline in physical and mental function, isolation and poverty. Policymakers, service providers and older people alike recognise the need to create a high quality of life for our ageing population. This challenge can be meet by addressing the problems relating to healthy ageing, reducing inequalities in later life and creating services that are shaped by, and appropriate for, older people. Devolution and Structures of Government in Northern Ireland The Agreement (2) reached in the Multi-Party Negotiations in Belfast 1998 established the Northern Ireland Assembly which has full legislative authority for all transferred matters. The majority of social and economic public policy such as; agriculture, arts, education, health, environment and planning is determined by the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont. There are 11 Government Departments covering the main areas of responsibility with 108 elected Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA�۪s). The powers of the Northern Ireland Assembly do not cover ��� reserved�۪ matters or ��� excepted�۪ matters . These are the responsibility of Westminster and include issues such as, tax, social security, policing, justice, defence, immigration and foreign affairs. Northern Ireland has 18 elected Members of Parliament (MP�۪s) to the House of Commons. Public Policy Context in Northern Ireland The economic, social and political consequence of an ageing population is a challenge for policy makers across government. Considering the complex and diverse causal factors that contribute to ageing in Northern Ireland, there are a number of areas of government policy at regional, national and international levels that are likely to impact in this area. International The Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (3) and the Research Agenda on Ageing for the 21st Century (4) provide important mechanisms for furthering research into ageing. The United Kingdom has signed up to these. The Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing commits member states to a systematic review of the Plan of Action through Regional Implementation Strategies. The United Kingdom�۪s Regional Implementation Strategy covers Northern Ireland. National At National level, pension and social security are high on the agenda. The Pensions Act (5) became law in 2007 and links pensions increases with earnings as opposed to prices from 2012. Additional credits for people raising children and caring for older people to boost their pensions were introduced. Some protections are included for those who lost occupational pensions as a result of underfunded schemes being wound up before April 2005. In relation to State Pensions and benefits, this Act will bring changes to state pensions in future. The Act now places the Pension Credit element which is up-rated in line with or above earnings, on a permanent, statutory footing. Regional At regional level there are a number of age related public policy initiatives that have the potential to impact positively on the lives of older people in Northern Ireland. Some are specific to ageing such as the Ageing in an Inclusive Society (6) and others by their nature are cross-cutting such as Lifetime Opportunities: Governments Anti-Poverty Strategy for Northern Ireland (7). The main public policy framework in Northern Ireland is the Programme for Government: Building a Better Future, 2008-2011(PfG) (8) . The PfG, is the overarching high level policy framework for Northern Ireland and provides useful principles for ageing research and public policy in Northern Ireland. The PfG vision is to build a peaceful, fair and prosperous society in Northern Ireland, with respect for the rule of law. A number of Public Service Agreements (PSA) aligned to the PfG confirm key actions that will be taken to support the priorities that the Government aim to achieve over the next three years. For example objective 2 of PSA 7: Making Peoples�۪ Lives Better: Drive a programme across Government to reduce poverty and address inequality and disadvantage, refers to taking forward strategic action to promote social inclusion for older people; and to deliver a strong independent voice for older people. The Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) have recently appointed an Interim Older People�۪s Advocate, Dame Joan Harbison to provide a focus for older peoples issues across Government. Ageing in an Inclusive Society is the cross-departmental strategy for older people in Northern Ireland and was launched in March 2005. It sets out the approach to be taken across Government to promote and support the inclusion of older people. The vision coupled with six strategic objectives form the basis of the action plans accompanying the strategy. The vision is: ���To ensure that age related policies and practices create an enabling environment, which offers everyone the opportunity to make informed choices so that they may pursue healthy, active and positive ageing.�۝ (Ageing in an Inclusive Society, Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, 2005) Action planning and maintaining momentum across government in relation to this strategy has proved to be slower than anticipated. It is proposed to refresh this Strategy in line with Opportunity Age ��� meeting the challenges of ageing in the 21st Century (9). There are a number of policy levers elsewhere which can also be used to promote the positive aspects of an ageing society. The Investing for Health (10) and A Healthier Future:A 20 Year Vision for Health and Well-being in Northern Ireland (11), seek to ensure that the overall vision for health and wellbeing is achievable and provides a useful framework for ageing policy and research in the health area. These health initiatives have the potential to positively impact on the quality of life of older people and provide a useful framework for improving current policy and practice. In addition to public policy initiatives, the anti-discrimination frameworks in terms of employment in Northern Ireland cover age as well as a range of other grounds. Goods facilitates and services are currently excluded from the Employment Equality (age) Regulations (NI) 2006 (12). Supplementing the anti-discrimination measures, Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 (13), unique to Northern Ireland, places a statutory obligation on public authorities in fulfilling their functions to promote equality of opportunity across nine grounds, one of which is age(14). This positive duty has the potential to make a real difference to the lives of older people in Northern Ireland. Those affected by policy decisions must be consulted and their interests taken into account. This provides an opportunity for older people and their representatives to participate in public policy-making, right from the start of the process. Policy and Research Interface ���Ageing research is vital as decisions in relation to policy and practice and resource allocation will be made on the best available information�۝. (CARDI�۪s Strategic Plan 2008-2011) As outlined earlier, CARDI has been established to bridge the gap to ensure that research reaches those involved in making policy decisions. CARDI is stimulating the ageing research agenda in Ireland through a specific research fund that has a policy and practice focus. My work is presently focusing on helping to build a greater awareness of the key policy levers and providing opportunities for those within research and policy to develop closer links. The development of this shared understanding by establishing these links between researchers and policy makers is seen as the best predictor for research utilization. It is important to acknowledge and recognise that researchers and policy makers operate in different institutional, political and cultural contexts. Research however needs to ���resonate�۪ with the contextual factors in which policy makers operate. Conclusions Those working within the public policy field recognise all too often that the development of government policies and initiatives in respect of age does not guarantee that they will result in changes in actual provision of services, despite Government recommendations and commitments. The identification of public policy initiatives as they relate to age has the potential to highlight persistent and entrenched difficulties that social policy has previously failed to address. Furthermore, the identification of these difficulties can maximise the opportunities for progressing these across government. A focus on developing effective and meaningful targets to ensure measurable outcomes in public policy for older people can assist in this. Access to sound, credible and up-to-date evidence will be vital in this respect. As well as a commitment to working across departmental boundaries to effect change. Further details: If you would like to discuss this paper or for further information about CARDI please contact: Judith Cross, Policy Officer, Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland CARDI). t: +44 (0) 28 9069 0066; m: +353 (0) 867 904 171; e: judith@cardi.ie ; or visit our website at: www.cardi.ie References 1) Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland (2008) Strategic Plan 2008-2011. Belfast. CARDI 2) The Agreement: Agreement Reached in the Multi-Party Negotiations. Belfast 1998 3) Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing. http://www.un.org/ageing/ 4) UN Programme on Ageing (2007) Research Agenda on Ageing for the 21st Century: 2007 Update. New York. New York. UN Programme on Ageing and the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics. 5) The Pensions Act 2007 Chapter 22 6) Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister (2005). Ageing in an Inclusive Society. Belfast. OFMDFM Central Anti-Poverty Unit. 7) Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister (2005). Lifetime Opportunities: Government�۪s Anti-Poverty and Social Inclusion Strategy for Northern Ireland. Belfast. OFMDFM Central Anti-Poverty Unit. 8) Northern Ireland Executive (2008) Building a Better Future: Programme for Government 2008-2011. Belfast. OFMDFM Economic Policy Unit. 9) Department for Work and Pensions, (2005) Opportunity Age: Meeting the Challenges of Ageing in the 21 st Century. London. DWP. 10) Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSS&PS) (2002) Investing for Health. Belfast. DHSS&PS. 11) Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSS&PS) (2005) A Healthier Future:A 20 Year Vision for Health and Well-being in Northern Ireland Belfast. DHSS&PS. �� 12) The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 SR2006 No.261 13) The Northern Ireland Act 1998, Part VII, S75 14) The nine grounds covered under S75 of the Northern Ireland Act are: gender, religion, race, sexual orientation, those with dependents, disability, political opinion, marital status and age.

Cleaning up neighbourhoods - Environmental Problems and Service Provision in Deprived areas

There has been growing concern that the quality of public services can be affected by the nature and scale of problems in deprived neighbourhoods and that poor services can contribute to a widening gap۪ between deprived and non-deprived neighbourhoods. There is also an increased emphasis within national policy on the quality of neighbourhood environments the so-called liveability۪ agenda. This report explores the challenges of delivering street scene۪ environmental services such as street sweeping and refuse collection in deprived and less deprived areas and examines the gap in environmental amenity between these different neighbourhoods. It also contributes to our understanding of the interplay between poor services and neighbourhood decline. The research involved a telephone survey of chief officers in local authority environmental service departments across the UK and detailed case studies of policy and practice in environmental service provision in four local authorities with significant levels of deprivation. Each case study involved work in three neighbourhoods within the authority two deprived and one less deprived as well as focus groups with residents and frontline environmental operatives, interviews with senior council staff and observation on the ground