2,319 research outputs found

    Moving from a Product-Based Economy to a Service-Based Economy for a More Sustainable Future

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    Traditionally, economic growth and prosperity have been linked with the availability, production and distribution of tangible goods as well as the ability of consumers to acquire such goods. Early evidence regarding this connection dates back to Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations (1776), in which any activity not resulting in the production of a tangible good is characterized as unproductive of any value." Since then, this coupling of economic value and material production has been prevalent in both developed and developing economies throughout the world. One unintended consequence of this coupling has been the exponential increase in the amount of solid waste being generated. The reason is that any production and consumption of material goods eventually generates the equivalent amount of (or even more) waste. Exacerbating this problem is the fact that, with today's manufacturing and supply chain management technologies, it has become cheaper to dispose and replace most products rather than to repair and reuse them. This has given rise to what some call a disposable society." To put things in perspective: In 2012 households in the U.K. generated approximately 22 thousand tons of waste, which amounted to 411 kg of waste generated per person (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, 2015). During the same time period, households in the U.S. generated 251 million tons of waste, which is equivalent to a person generating approximately 2 kg of waste every day (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2012). Out of these 251 million tons of total waste generated, approximately 20% of the discarded items were categorized as durable goods. The disposal of durable goods is particularly worrisome because they are typically produced using material from non- renewable resources such as iron, minerals, and petroleum-based raw materials

    Management of work-relevant upper limb disorders: a review

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    Background Upper limb disorders (ULDs) are clinically challenging and responsible for considerable work loss. There is a need to determine effective approaches for their management. Aim To determine evidence-based management strategies for work-relevant ULDs and explore whether a biopsychosocial approach is appropriate. Methods Literature review using a best evidence synthesis. Data from articles identified through systematic searching of electronic databases and citation tracking were extracted into evidence tables. The information was synthesized into high-level evidence statements, which were ordered into themes covering classification/diagnosis, epidemiology, associations/risks and management/treatment, focusing on return to work or work retention and taking account of distinctions between non-specific complaints and specific diagnoses. Results Neither biomedical treatment nor ergonomic workplace interventions alone offer an optimal solution; rather, multimodal interventions show considerable promise, particularly for occupational outcomes. Early return to work, or work retention, is an important goal for most cases and may be facilitated, where necessary, by transitional work arrangements. The emergent evidence indicates that successful management strategies require all the players to be onside and acting in a coordinated fashion; this requires engaging employers and workers to participate. Conclusions The biopsychosocial model applies: biological considerations should not be ignored, but psychosocial factors are more influential for occupational outcomes. Implementation of interventions that address the full range of psychosocial issues will require a cultural shift in the way the relationship between upper limb complaints and work is conceived and handled. Dissemination of evidence-based messages can contribute to the needed cultural shift

    The Paradox of Power in CSR: A Case Study on Implementation

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    Purpose Although current literature assumes positive outcomes for stakeholders resulting from an increase in power associated with CSR, this research suggests that this increase can lead to conflict within organizations, resulting in almost complete inactivity on CSR. Methods A single in-depth case study, focusing on power as an embedded concept. Results Empirical evidence is used to demonstrate how some actors use CSR to improve their own positions within an organization. Resource dependence theory is used to highlight why this may be a more significant concern for CSR. Conclusions Increasing power for CSR has the potential to offer actors associated with it increased personal power, and thus can attract opportunistic actors with little interest in realizing the benefits of CSR for the company and its stakeholders. Thus power can be an impediment to furthering CSR strategy and activities at the individual and organizational level

    International comparisons of sectoral energy- and labour-productivity performance. Stylised facts and decomposition of trends

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    This paper addresses the interplay between economic growth, energy use, change in sectoral composition and technological change, by exploring trends in energy- and labour productivity development for 14 OECD countries and four sectors over the period 1970-1997. A cross-country decomposition analysis reveals that in some countries structural changes contributed considerably to macroeconomic energy-productivity growth while in other countries they partly offset energy-efficiency improvements. In contrast, structural changes only play a minor role in explaining macroeconomic labour-productivity developments. We also find labour productivity growth to be higher on average than energy productivity growth. Over time, this bias towards labour productivity growth is increasing in Transport, Agriculture and Manufacturing, while it is decreasing in Services

    Search for the rare decays B0J/ψγB^{0}\to J/\psi \gamma and Bs0J/ψγB^{0}_{s} \to J/\psi \gamma

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    A search for the rare decay of a B0B^{0} or Bs0B^{0}_{s} meson into the final state J/ψγJ/\psi\gamma is performed, using data collected by the LHCb experiment in pppp collisions at s=7\sqrt{s}=7 and 88 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb1^{-1}. The observed number of signal candidates is consistent with a background-only hypothesis. Branching fraction values larger than 1.7×1061.7\times 10^{-6} for the B0J/ψγB^{0}\to J/\psi\gamma decay mode are excluded at 90% confidence level. For the Bs0J/ψγB^{0}_{s}\to J/\psi\gamma decay mode, branching fraction values larger than 7.4×1067.4\times 10^{-6} are excluded at 90% confidence level, this is the first branching fraction limit for this decay.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://lhcbproject.web.cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/LHCbProjectPublic/LHCb-PAPER-2015-044.htm

    A model-independent confirmation of the Z(4430)Z(4430)^- state

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    The decay B0ψ(2S)K+πB^0\to \psi(2S) K^+\pi^- is analyzed using 3 fb1\rm 3~fb^{-1} of pppp collision data collected with the LHCb detector. A model-independent description of the ψ(2S)π\psi(2S) \pi mass spectrum is obtained, using as input the KπK\pi mass spectrum and angular distribution derived directly from data, without requiring a theoretical description of resonance shapes or their interference. The hypothesis that the ψ(2S)π\psi(2S)\pi mass spectrum can be described in terms of KπK\pi reflections alone is rejected with more than 8σ\sigma significance. This provides confirmation, in a model-independent way, of the need for an additional resonant component in the mass region of the Z(4430)Z(4430)^- exotic state.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://lhcbproject.web.cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/LHCbProjectPublic/LHCb-PAPER-2015-038.htm

    A study of CPCP violation in BDhB^\mp \rightarrow Dh^\mp (h=K,πh=K,\pi) with the modes DKπ±π0D \rightarrow K^\mp \pi^\pm \pi^0, Dπ+ππ0D \rightarrow \pi^+\pi^-\pi^0 and DK+Kπ0D \rightarrow K^+K^-\pi^0

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    An analysis of the decays of BDKB^\mp \rightarrow D K^\mp and BDπB^\mp \rightarrow D \pi^\mp is presented in which the DD meson is reconstructed in the three-body final states Kπ±π0K^\mp \pi^\pm \pi^0, π+ππ0\pi^+ \pi^- \pi^0 and K+Kπ0K^+ K^- \pi^0. Using data from LHCb corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0 fb1^{-1} of pppp collisions, measurements of several CPCP observables are performed. First observations are obtained of the suppressed ADS decay B[πK±π0]DπB^\mp \rightarrow [\pi^\mp K^\pm \pi^0]_D \pi^\mp and the quasi-GLW decay B[K+Kπ0]DπB^\mp \rightarrow [K^+ K^- \pi^0]_D \pi^\mp. The results are interpreted in the context of the unitarity triangle angle γ\gamma and related parameters

    Study of BDKπ+πB^{-}\to DK^-\pi^+\pi^- and BDππ+πB^-\to D\pi^-\pi^+\pi^- decays and determination of the CKM angle γ\gamma

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    We report a study of the suppressed BDKπ+πB^-\to DK^-\pi^+\pi^- and favored BDππ+πB^-\to D\pi^-\pi^+\pi^- decays, where the neutral DD meson is detected through its decays to the Kπ±K^{\mp}\pi^{\pm} and CP-even K+KK^+K^- and π+π\pi^+\pi^- final states. The measurement is carried out using a proton-proton collision data sample collected by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3.0~fb1^{-1}. We observe the first significant signals in the CP-even final states of the DD meson for both the suppressed BDKπ+πB^-\to DK^-\pi^+\pi^- and favored BDππ+πB^-\to D\pi^-\pi^+\pi^- modes, as well as in the doubly Cabibbo-suppressed DK+πD\to K^+\pi^- final state of the BDππ+πB^-\to D\pi^-\pi^+\pi^- decay. Evidence for the ADS suppressed decay BDKπ+πB^{-}\to DK^-\pi^+\pi^-, with DK+πD\to K^+\pi^-, is also presented. From the observed yields in the BDKπ+πB^-\to DK^-\pi^+\pi^-, BDππ+πB^-\to D\pi^-\pi^+\pi^- and their charge conjugate decay modes, we measure the value of the weak phase to be γ=(7419+20)o\gamma=(74^{+20}_{-19})^{\rm o}. This is one of the most precise single-measurement determinations of γ\gamma to date.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figures; All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://lhcbproject.web.cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/LHCbProjectPublic/LHCb-PAPER-2015-020.htm

    Observation of J/ψpJ/\psi p resonances consistent with pentaquark states in Λb0J/ψKp{\Lambda_b^0\to J/\psi K^-p} decays

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    Observations of exotic structures in the J/ψpJ/\psi p channel, that we refer to as pentaquark-charmonium states, in Λb0J/ψKp\Lambda_b^0\to J/\psi K^- p decays are presented. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 3/fb acquired with the LHCb detector from 7 and 8 TeV pp collisions. An amplitude analysis is performed on the three-body final-state that reproduces the two-body mass and angular distributions. To obtain a satisfactory fit of the structures seen in the J/ψpJ/\psi p mass spectrum, it is necessary to include two Breit-Wigner amplitudes that each describe a resonant state. The significance of each of these resonances is more than 9 standard deviations. One has a mass of 4380±8±294380\pm 8\pm 29 MeV and a width of 205±18±86205\pm 18\pm 86 MeV, while the second is narrower, with a mass of 4449.8±1.7±2.54449.8\pm 1.7\pm 2.5 MeV and a width of 39±5±1939\pm 5\pm 19 MeV. The preferred JPJ^P assignments are of opposite parity, with one state having spin 3/2 and the other 5/2.Comment: 48 pages, 18 figures including the supplementary material, v2 after referee's comments, now 19 figure
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