“Just” ecopreneurs: re-conceptualising green transitions and entrepreneurship

© 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Economic, environmental, and social limits of the current capitalist mode of production have led to a rethinking and reconceptualisation of economic processes and models including the role of businesses in sustainable development. While green economies and more specifically green entrepreneurs have been identified as agents of change that can challenge the mainstream and seek to induce environmental, social, and ethical transformation of society, much research has stayed within existing models of thinking predominantly rooted in technocratic approaches (e.g. ecological modernisation and more recently transition studies). This paper seeks to offer an alternative understanding of green entrepreneurship that breaks open these discussions using an environmental justice frame that focuses on the role of extra-economic discourses in shaping the social relations of economic systems. By drawing on an exemplary case study of “just” entrepreneurship from Boston, Massachusetts, USA, the paper seeks to start a conversation around the ideas of green entrepreneurship and environmental justice as vehicles to deliver potentially broader system changes and explores both conceptual and practical aspects of green development. As such, it offers (1) evidence of a just green economy that can be realised within existing capitalist structures as well as (2) a different conceptual entry point to understanding green entrepreneurship

Smart growth and its discontents : an examination of american and european approaches to local and regional sustainable development

El concepte del desenvolupament sostenible s’obre camí cada vegada més en les estratègies de desenvolupament local i regional. Aquesta tendència també succeix als EUA, encara que en aquest país no pren el nom d’Agenda 21 Local, com és el cas en gran part de la resta del món. L’enfocament de «desenvolupament sostenible» als EUA es pot considerar com un conjunt de polítiques que, col·lectivament, es coneixen amb el nom de «creixement intel·ligent» (smart growth). El creixement intel·ligent es considera a vegades com una variant exclusivament «americana» de desenvolupament sostenible. Al contrary del que ha passat amb l’Agenda 21, aquest concepte de creixement intel·ligent ha aconseguit captar l’interès dels respnsables polítics locals als EUA: En aquest article es compara l’Agenda 21 Local i creixement intel ligent en el context dels EUA i Europa, utilitzant fonts secundàries de dades i anàlisi, així com un estudi de cas de Massachusetts, EUA.Increasingly concepts of sustainable development are finding their way into local and regional development strategies. This is also true in the USA, though not through the Local Agenda 21 process, as is the case in much of the rest of the world. The approach to ‘sustainable development’ in the USA is a set of policy approaches collectively referred to as ‘smart growth’. Smart growth is sometimes referred to as a uniquely ‘American’ variant of sustainable development. In contrast to Local Agenda 21, smart growth has captured the imagination of American policy makers, at all spatial scales. Smart growth is most attractive as a local and regional development strategy. In this paper I explore compare Local Agenda 21 and Smart Growth in the context of the USA and Europe using secondary data sources and analysis as well as a case study from Massachusetts, USA.El concepto del desarrollo sostenible se abre camino cada vez más en las estrategias de desarrollo local y regional. Esta tendencia también ocurre en EE. UU. , aunque en este país no toma el nombre de Agenda 21 Local, como es el caso en gran parte del resto del mundo. EDl enfoque del desarrollo sostenible local en los EE. UU. puede considerarse como un conjunto de políticas que, colectivamente, se conocen con el nombre de «crecimiento inteligente» (smart growth). Así, el crecimiento inteligente se considera a veces como una variante exclusivamente americana de desarrollo sostenible. Al contrario de lo ocurrido con la Agenda 21, este concepto de crecimiento inteligente ha logrado captar el interés de los responsables políticos locales en los EE. UU. : En este artículo se compara la Agenda 21 Local y crecimiento inteligente en el contexto de los EE. UU. y Europa, utilizando fuentes secundarias de datos y análisis, así como un estudio de caso de Massachusetts, Estados Unidos

Smart growth and its discontents : an examination of american and european approaches to local and regional sustainable development

Increasingly concepts of sustainable development are finding their way into local and regional development strategies. This is also true in the USA, though not through the Local Agenda 21 process, as is the case in much of the rest of the world. The approach to 'sustainable development' in the USA is a set of policy approaches collectively referred to as 'smart growth'. Smart growth is sometimes referred to as a uniquely 'American' variant of sustainable development. In contrast to Local Agenda 21, smart growth has captured the imagination of American policy makers, at all spatial scales. Smart growth is most attractive as a local and regional development strategy. In this paper I explore compare Local Agenda 21 and Smart Growth in the context of the USA and Europe using secondary data sources and analysis as well as a case study from Massachusetts, USA.El concepte del desenvolupament sostenible s'obre camí cada vegada més en les estratègies de desenvolupament local i regional. Aquesta tendència també succeix als EUA, encara que en aquest país no pren el nom d'Agenda 21 Local, com és el cas en gran part de la resta del món. L'enfocament de «desenvolupament sostenible» als EUA es pot considerar com un conjunt de polítiques que, col·lectivament, es coneixen amb el nom de «creixement intel·ligent» (smart growth). El creixement intel·ligent es considera a vegades com una variant exclusivament «americana» de desenvolupament sostenible. Al contrary del que ha passat amb l'Agenda 21, aquest concepte de creixement intel·ligent ha aconseguit captar l'interès dels respnsables polítics locals als EUA: En aquest article es compara l'Agenda 21 Local i creixement intel ligent en el context dels EUA i Europa, utilitzant fonts secundàries de dades i anàlisi, així com un estudi de cas de Massachusetts, EUA.El concepto del desarrollo sostenible se abre camino cada vez más en las estrategias de desarrollo local y regional. Esta tendencia también ocurre en EE.UU., aunque en este país no toma el nombre de Agenda 21 Local, como es el caso en gran parte del resto del mundo. EDl enfoque del desarrollo sostenible local en los EE.UU. puede considerarse como un conjunto de políticas que, colectivamente, se conocen con el nombre de «crecimiento inteligente» (smart growth). Así, el crecimiento inteligente se considera a veces como una variante exclusivamente americana de desarrollo sostenible. Al contrario de lo ocurrido con la Agenda 21, este concepto de crecimiento inteligente ha logrado captar el interés de los responsables políticos locales en los EE.UU.: En este artículo se compara la Agenda 21 Local y crecimiento inteligente en el contexto de los EE.UU. y Europa, utilizando fuentes secundarias de datos y análisis, así como un estudio de caso de Massachusetts, Estados Unidos.Le concept de développement durable est utilisé de plus en plus dans les stratégies de développement local et régional. Cette tendance se trouve aussi aux États-Unis, bien que dans ce pays le nom de l'Agenda 21 local, commun dans une grande partie du monde, est remplacé par l'expression « Croissance intelligente ». Ainsi, la croissance intelligente est parfois considéré comme une variante exclusivement américaine du développement durable. Contrairement à ce qui s'est passé avec le programme Action 21 local, le concept de croissance intelligente a réussi à capter l'intérêt des politiciens locaux des États-Unis: Cet article compare le programme Action 21 local et le concept de croissance intelligente contexte des États-Unis et en Europe, en utilisant des sources secondaires de données et d'analyse ainsi que d'une étude de cas du Massachusetts, États-Unis

Viewers base estimates of face matching accuracy on their own familiarity: Explaining the photo-ID paradox

Matching two different images of a face is a very easy task for familiar viewers, but much harder for unfamiliar viewers. Despite this, use of photo-ID is widespread, and people appear not to know how unreliable it is. We present a series of experiments investigating bias both when performing a matching task and when predicting other people’s performance. Participants saw pairs of faces and were asked to make a same/different judgement, after which they were asked to predict how well other people, unfamiliar with these faces, would perform. In four experiments we show different groups of participants familiar and unfamiliar faces, manipulating this in different ways: celebrities in experiments 1 to 3 and personally familiar faces in experiment 4. The results consistently show that people match images of familiar faces more accurately than unfamiliar faces. However, people also reliably predict that the faces they themselves know will be more accurately matched by different viewers. This bias is discussed in the context of current theoretical debates about face recognition, and we suggest that it may underlie the continued use of photo-ID, despite the availability of evidence about its unreliability

IL-4Rα Blockade by Dupilumab Decreases Staphylococcus aureus Colonization and Increases Microbial Diversity in Atopic Dermatitis.

Dupilumab is a fully human antibody to interleukin-4 receptor α that improves the signs and symptoms of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD). To determine the effects of dupilumab on Staphylococcus aureus colonization and microbial diversity on the skin, bacterial DNA was analyzed from swabs collected from lesional and nonlesional skin in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 54 patients with moderate to severe AD randomized (1:1) and treated with either dupilumab (200 mg weekly) or placebo for 16 weeks. Microbial diversity and relative abundance of Staphylococcus were assessed by DNA sequencing of 16S ribosomal RNA, and absolute S. aureus abundance was measured by quantitative PCR. Before treatment, lesional skin had lower microbial diversity and higher overall abundance of S. aureus than nonlesional skin. During dupilumab treatment, microbial diversity increased and the abundance of S. aureus decreased. Pronounced changes were seen in nonlesional and lesional skin. Decreased S. aureus abundance during dupilumab treatment correlated with clinical improvement of AD and biomarkers of type 2 immunity. We conclude that clinical improvement of AD that is mediated by interleukin-4 receptor α inhibition and the subsequent suppression of type 2 inflammation is correlated with increased microbial diversity and reduced abundance of S. aureus

Planning for Sustainability in Small Municipalities: The Influence of Interest Groups, Growth Patterns, and Institutional Characteristics

How and why small municipalities promote sustainability through planning efforts is poorly understood. We analyzed ordinances in 451 Maine municipalities and tested theories of policy adoption using regression analysis.We found that smaller communities do adopt programs that contribute to sustainability relevant to their scale and context. In line with the political market theory, we found that municipalities with strong environmental interests, higher growth, and more formal governments were more likely to adopt these policies. Consideration of context and capacity in planning for sustainability will help planners better identify and benefit from collaboration, training, and outreach opportunities

Examining regional competitiveness and the pressures of rapid growth: An interpretive institutionalist account of policy responses in three city regions

This paper is premised on the notion that actors play a central role in shaping their institutional contexts. The paper adds to scholarship in this area by bringing together three disparate cases with a common analytical entry point: the city region. Despite their multiple scales and different sites of governance, these cases are united by a common theme, exemplified in each city region: addressing the contradictions of rapid development, in particular rapid growth and competitiveness. Using the conceptual framework of interpretive institutionalism we examine how dilemmas, in this case the pressure of rapid growth in regions, are informed by the different traditions for understanding the role of the market in delivering project outcomes. Our findings show this difference in institutional norms and the variance amongst the different paradigms

QES-Fire: A dynamically coupled fast-response wildfire model

A microscale wildfire model, QES-Fire, that dynamically couples the fire front to microscale winds was developed using a simplified physics rate of spread (ROS) model, a kinematic plume-rise model and a mass-consistent wind solver. The model is three-dimensional and couples fire heat fluxes to the wind field while being more computationally efficient than other coupled models. The plume-rise model calculates a potential velocity field scaled by the ROS model\u27s fire heat flux. Distinct plumes are merged using a multiscale plume-merging methodology that can efficiently represent complex fire fronts. The plume velocity is then superimposed on the ambient winds and the wind solver enforces conservation of mass on the combined field, which is then fed into the ROS model and iterated on until convergence. QES-Fire\u27s ability to represent plume rise is evaluated by comparing its results with those from an atmospheric large-eddy simulation (LES) model. Additionally, the model is compared with data from the FireFlux II field experiment. QES-Fire agrees well with both the LES and field experiment data, with domain-integrated buoyancy fluxes differing by less than 17% between LES and QES-Fire and less than a 10% difference in the ROS between QES-Fire and FireFlux II data

BHPR research: qualitative1. Complex reasoning determines patients' perception of outcome following foot surgery in rheumatoid arhtritis

Background: Foot surgery is common in patients with RA but research into surgical outcomes is limited and conceptually flawed as current outcome measures lack face validity: to date no one has asked patients what is important to them. This study aimed to determine which factors are important to patients when evaluating the success of foot surgery in RA Methods: Semi structured interviews of RA patients who had undergone foot surgery were conducted and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis of interviews was conducted to explore issues that were important to patients. Results: 11 RA patients (9 ♂, mean age 59, dis dur = 22yrs, mean of 3 yrs post op) with mixed experiences of foot surgery were interviewed. Patients interpreted outcome in respect to a multitude of factors, frequently positive change in one aspect contrasted with negative opinions about another. Overall, four major themes emerged. Function: Functional ability & participation in valued activities were very important to patients. Walking ability was a key concern but patients interpreted levels of activity in light of other aspects of their disease, reflecting on change in functional ability more than overall level. Positive feelings of improved mobility were often moderated by negative self perception ("I mean, I still walk like a waddling duck”). Appearance: Appearance was important to almost all patients but perhaps the most complex theme of all. Physical appearance, foot shape, and footwear were closely interlinked, yet patients saw these as distinct separate concepts. Patients need to legitimize these feelings was clear and they frequently entered into a defensive repertoire ("it's not cosmetic surgery; it's something that's more important than that, you know?”). Clinician opinion: Surgeons' post operative evaluation of the procedure was very influential. The impact of this appraisal continued to affect patients' lasting impression irrespective of how the outcome compared to their initial goals ("when he'd done it ... he said that hasn't worked as good as he'd wanted to ... but the pain has gone”). Pain: Whilst pain was important to almost all patients, it appeared to be less important than the other themes. Pain was predominately raised when it influenced other themes, such as function; many still felt the need to legitimize their foot pain in order for health professionals to take it seriously ("in the end I went to my GP because it had happened a few times and I went to an orthopaedic surgeon who was quite dismissive of it, it was like what are you complaining about”). Conclusions: Patients interpret the outcome of foot surgery using a multitude of interrelated factors, particularly functional ability, appearance and surgeons' appraisal of the procedure. While pain was often noted, this appeared less important than other factors in the overall outcome of the surgery. Future research into foot surgery should incorporate the complexity of how patients determine their outcome Disclosure statement: All authors have declared no conflicts of interes

Scottish Medical Imaging Service:Technical and Governance controls

Objectives The Scottish Medical Imaging (SMI) service provides linkable, population based, “research-ready” real-world medical images for researchers to develop or validate AI algorithms within the Scottish National Safe Haven. The PICTURES research programme is developing novel methods to enhance the SMI service offering through research in cybersecurity and software/data/infrastructure engineering. Approach Additional technical and governance controls were required to enable safe access to medical images. The researcher is isolated from the rest of the trusted research environment (TRE) using a Project Private Zone (PPZ). This enables researchers to build and install their own software stack, and protects the TRE from malicious code. Guidelines are under development for researchers on the safe development of algorithms and the expected relationship between the size of the model and the training dataset. There is associated work on the statistical disclosure control of models to enable safe release of trained models from the TRE. Results A policy enabling the use of “Non-standard software” based on prior research, domain knowledge and experience gained from two contrasting research studies was developed.  Additional clauses have been added to the legal control – the eDRIS User Agreement – signed by each researcher and their Head of Department.  Penalties for attempting to import or use malware, remove data within models or any attempt to deceive or circumvent such controls are severe, and apply to both the individual and their institution. The process of building and deploying a PPZ has been developed allowing researchers to install their own software. No attempt has yet been made to add additional ethical controls; however, a future service development could be validating the performance of researchers’ algorithms on our training dataset. Conclusion The availability to conduct research using images poses new challenges and risks for those commissioning and operating TREs. The Private Project Zone and our associated governance controls are a huge step towards supporting the needs of researchers in the 21st century