Health effects of housing improvements

Despite long-established associations between housing conditions and health, the evidence linking housing improvements to changes in health outcomes is still sparse. Our latest briefing paper, Health Effects of Housing Improvements, reports on changes in physical and mental health outcomes related to housing improvements undertaken in social housing Glasgow since 2003 as part of investment agreed as part of the stock transfer to bring stock up to the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS). The objective of the research was to establish whether there were any differences in the change in physical and mental health outcomes over time between those who did or did not receive four different types of housing improvements. The briefing paper looks at the effects of each of four housing improvements on physical and mental health. It also examines the effects of multiple improvements and of time since the improvements in order to investigate whether the effects change over time. Our findings relating the health improvements following housing improvements are modest. However, while housing improvements may not lead manifest improvements in individual health over the short term but improved and maintained housing stock should lead to longer term health improvements at the population level. Although housing providers improve homes with the expectation of health gains they also aim to improve residential satisfaction and quality of life more generally. Our study highlights the central importance of employment to the health of residents in deprived areas, and supports a case for more attention to be paid to employment as part of regeneration, whether through economic, employability or health-improvement measures

Bicycle and car share schemes as inclusive modes of travel? A socio-spatial analysis in Glasgow

Public bicycle and car sharing schemes have proliferated in recent years and are increasingly part of the urban transport landscape. Shared transport options have the potential to support social inclusion by improving accessibility: these initiatives could remove some of the barriers to car ownership or bicycle usage such as upfront costs, maintenance and storage. However, the existing evidence base indicates that, in reality, users are most likely to be white, male and middle class. This paper argues that there is a need to consider the social inclusivity of sharing schemes and to develop appropriate evaluation frameworks accordingly. We therefore open by considering ways in which shared transport schemes might be inclusive or not, using a framework developed from accessibility planning. In the second part of the paper, we use the case study of Glasgow in Scotland to undertake a spatial equity analysis of such schemes. We examine how well they serve different population groups across the city, using the locations of bicycle stations and car club parking spaces in Glasgow, comparing and contrasting bike and car. An apparent failure to deliver benefits across the demographic spectrum raises important questions about the socially inclusive nature of public investment in similar schemes

Household car adoption and financial distress in deprived urban communities: A case of forced car ownership?

This paper explores the relationship between car ownership and financial circumstances for people living in disadvantaged urban communities. Assumptions about cars signifying status and income are problematised by an examination of the characteristics of those who adopt cars. We consider the possibility that, despite low incomes and financial problems, cars may be a necessity for some urban dwellers. Patterns of car ownership and adoption are analysed using cross-sectional and longitudinal survey data collected from communities in Glasgow, between 2006 and 2011, before, during and after the recession. Car ownership rates increased, as more people adopted a car than relinquished vehicles. The likelihood of household car adoption was influenced by changes in household size, increased financial difficulties in relation to housing costs, and where householders gained work. A small but growing proportion of households (up to 8.5% by 2011) are deemed ‘forced car owners’ by virtue of owning a car despite also reporting financial difficulties: three-quarters of this group maintain a car despite financial problems whilst a quarter adopt a car despite financial problems. Findings suggest that poor households are reluctant to relinquish their cars to ease money problems when under financial stress and that, for some, acquiring a car may be seen as necessary to better their circumstances. In neither case can we see evidence that the sustainable transport agenda is reaching disadvantaged communities and there are concerns that regeneration strategies are failing to promote mobility and accessibility for poor communities via transport policies

Accessibility Analysis and Transport Planning: Challenges for Europe and North America (part of the Nectar Series on Transportation and Communications Networks Research). Geurs, K T, Krizek, K J, Reggiani, A.

No abstract available

Can housing improvements cure or prevent the onset of health conditions over time in deprived areas?

Background: There is a need for more evidence linking particular housing improvements to changes in specific health conditions. Research often looks at generic works over short periods. Methods: We use a longitudinal sample (n = 1933) with a survey interval of 2–5 years. Multivariate logistic regression is used to calculate the odds ratios of developing or recovering from six health conditions according to receipt of four types of housing improvements. Results: Receipt of fabric works was associated with higher likelihood of recovery from mental health problems and circulatory conditions. Receipt of central heating was also associated with higher likelihood of recovery form circulatory conditions. No evidence was found for the preventative effects of housing improvements. Conclusions: Health gain from housing improvements appears most likely when targeted at those in greatest health need. The health impacts of area-wide, non-targeted housing improvements are less clear in our study

Burning Man Values Examined: Gratitude as a Culturally-Driven and Value-Based Organizational Mainstay

Gratitude expression is examined as a culturally-derived principle that can be adopted as a best practices strategy that can make organizations more dynamic and human relationships more meaningful. Burning Man is presented as an exemplar of gratitude implementation by crafting the expression of gratitude into an elevated organizational phenomenon (including a cultural principal of unconditional gifting). Burning Man has also crafted a “Culture of Appreciation” as a set of organizationally-derived practices complementary to processes of gratitude implementation. The paper concludes with a discussion of gratitude and appreciation as an organizational mainstay

Fauna of mammals in National park Marojejy (Madagascar)

Na Madagaskaru, zbog njegove karakteristične i velike biološke raznolikosti, zaštićena su mnoga područja. Na popisu tih područja nalazi se i NP Marojejy. On je smješten u istočnom dijelu otoka, gdje se zbog kišnih šuma i povoljnih uvjeta razvio velik broj endemičnih biljaka i životinja. Među ostalima, i fauna sisavaca vrlo je raznolika i značajna. Iako na otoku nalazimo samo pet grupa sisavaca, među njima su zastupljene brojne zanimljive vrste. Osim autohtonih, na otoku, a tako i u Parku možemo pronaći i neke alohtone vrste. Iako je područje Parka pod zaštitom te se brojne organizacije bave upravo time, muče ga veliki problemi. Najveći su ilegalna sječa drveća, lov, a zatim i prehrana tim već ugroženim vrstama i nedovoljna edukacija samog stanovništva. Već spomenute organizacije mnogo ulažu, kako bi pokušale riješiti te probleme, jer ako se uništavanje nastavi ovakvim tempom, sve više životinjskih i biljnih vrsta nestajat će sa tog područja, a time direktno i sa cijele Zemlje i biti će prekasno za reakcije i sprječavanje trajnih šteta.On the island of Madagascar, due to its characteristic and high biodiversity, we can find many protected areas. In the list of these areas, there is also National park Marojejy. It is located in the eastern part of the island, where the rain forests and favourable conditions have caused a development of a large number of endemic plants and animals. Mammal fauna is very diverse and significant. However, we can only find five groups of mammals on Madagascar but they are represented by many interesting species. Besides native, in the park we can also find some introduced species. Although the park area is under protection and a number of organizations are dealing with that, park is facing many problems. The biggest are illegal logging, hunting and eating the already endangered species. In addition to that, the education of the population is insufficient. These organizations are investing hard work and labour to try and resolve these problems, because if the destruction continues more and more plant and animal species will disappear from the area, and thereby disappear from Earth and it will be too late to react and prevent the permanent damage

Fauna of mammals in National park Marojejy (Madagascar)

Na Madagaskaru, zbog njegove karakteristične i velike biološke raznolikosti, zaštićena su mnoga područja. Na popisu tih područja nalazi se i NP Marojejy. On je smješten u istočnom dijelu otoka, gdje se zbog kišnih šuma i povoljnih uvjeta razvio velik broj endemičnih biljaka i životinja. Među ostalima, i fauna sisavaca vrlo je raznolika i značajna. Iako na otoku nalazimo samo pet grupa sisavaca, među njima su zastupljene brojne zanimljive vrste. Osim autohtonih, na otoku, a tako i u Parku možemo pronaći i neke alohtone vrste. Iako je područje Parka pod zaštitom te se brojne organizacije bave upravo time, muče ga veliki problemi. Najveći su ilegalna sječa drveća, lov, a zatim i prehrana tim već ugroženim vrstama i nedovoljna edukacija samog stanovništva. Već spomenute organizacije mnogo ulažu, kako bi pokušale riješiti te probleme, jer ako se uništavanje nastavi ovakvim tempom, sve više životinjskih i biljnih vrsta nestajat će sa tog područja, a time direktno i sa cijele Zemlje i biti će prekasno za reakcije i sprječavanje trajnih šteta.On the island of Madagascar, due to its characteristic and high biodiversity, we can find many protected areas. In the list of these areas, there is also National park Marojejy. It is located in the eastern part of the island, where the rain forests and favourable conditions have caused a development of a large number of endemic plants and animals. Mammal fauna is very diverse and significant. However, we can only find five groups of mammals on Madagascar but they are represented by many interesting species. Besides native, in the park we can also find some introduced species. Although the park area is under protection and a number of organizations are dealing with that, park is facing many problems. The biggest are illegal logging, hunting and eating the already endangered species. In addition to that, the education of the population is insufficient. These organizations are investing hard work and labour to try and resolve these problems, because if the destruction continues more and more plant and animal species will disappear from the area, and thereby disappear from Earth and it will be too late to react and prevent the permanent damage

The UV absorption spectrum of C60 (buckminsterfullerene): A narrow band at 3860 Å

The absorption spectrum of the special C60 cluster buckminsterfullerene has been studied in a supersonic beam by laser depletion of the cold van der Waals complexes of C60 with benzene and methylene chloride. Both complexes were found to display a single, isolated absorption band in the near ultraviolet superimposed on a structureless absorption continuum. For the methylene chloride complex this feature is centered at 3860 Å, and is roughly 50 cm−1 wide. In the benzene van der Waals cluster, the corresponding feature is located at 3863 Å, and has a similar width. This spectrum is tentatively assigned to the 0–0 band of the lowest 1T1u<--1Ag (LUMO+1<--HOMO) transition of a truncated icosahedral carbon shell structure, broadened by coupling to the underlying quasicontinuum of ground state vibrational levels