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1 – 8 of 8Nikolai Petrovich Anosov, Vladimir Nikolaevich Skorobogatykh, Lyubov’ Yur’yevna Gordyuk, Vasilii Anatol’evich Mikheev, Egor Vasil’yevich Pogorelov and Valentin Kuz’mich Shamardin
The purpose of this paper is to consider a procedure of water-water energetic reactor (WWER) reactor pressure vessel (RPV) lifetime prediction at the stages of design and lifetime…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to consider a procedure of water-water energetic reactor (WWER) reactor pressure vessel (RPV) lifetime prediction at the stages of design and lifetime extension using the standard irradiation embrittlement parameters as defined in regulatory documents. A comparison is made of the brittle fracture resistance (BFR) values evaluated using two criteria: shift in the critical brittleness temperature ΔTc or shift in the brittle-to-ductile transition temperature ΔTp and without shifts (Tc and Tp).
Design/methodology/approach
The radiation resistance was determined using the following three approaches: calculation based on standard values ΔTc and Tc0 or ΔTp and Tp0 (a level of excessive conservatism); calculation based on standard value ΔTc and actual value Tc0 or actual values ΔTp and Tp0 (the level of realistic conservatism); or calculation based on actual values of Tc and Tc0 or Tp and Tp0 (the level of actual conservatism). The BFR was evaluated based on the results of testing the specimens subjected to irradiation in research reactors as well as surveillance specimens subjected to irradiation immediately under operating conditions.
Findings
The excessive conservatism in determining the actual lifetime of nuclear reactor vessel materials can be eliminated by using the immediate values of critical brittleness temperature and ductile-to-brittle transition temperature.
Originality/value
Obtained results can be applied to extend WWER vessel operating time at the stages of designing and operation due to substantiated decrease in conservatism. And it will allow carrying out a statistical substantiated assessment of the resistance to brittle fracture of the RPV steels.
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Shops and shopkeepers are a British tradition. More than 150 years ago, we were a nation of shopkeepers, and the picture of shops and the shopping public seemed unchanging. There…
Abstract
Shops and shopkeepers are a British tradition. More than 150 years ago, we were a nation of shopkeepers, and the picture of shops and the shopping public seemed unchanging. There were, of course, the early departmental stores, the co‐operative societies, the multiple shops, the chain‐stores, but the position was much as it had always been and the greatest proportion of retail trade was still in the hands of the traditional type of shopkeeper. The two Wars changed many things, but it was not until after the last War that retail trade really began to change and looking at it objectively and at the food trade particularly, it has become a revolution.
Claudia Dias, Ricardo Gouveia Rodrigues and João J. Ferreira
Based on farm diversification's conventional and unconventional nature, the study intends to discriminate different profiles of farm diversification businesses. Furthermore, this…
Abstract
Purpose
Based on farm diversification's conventional and unconventional nature, the study intends to discriminate different profiles of farm diversification businesses. Furthermore, this study analyses the links between farm diversification efforts, (open) innovation networks as well as the environmental performance (EP) and financial performance (FP) of farms.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire was administered through personal interviews with 160 fresh fruit farmers in an inland Portuguese region. Linear regression, latent class analysis (LCA) and multinomial logistic regression were used.
Findings
There are significant differences between the levels of diversification, performance and participation in (open) innovation networks of the three classes of farmers discriminated. Different types of diversification efforts and (open) innovation networks influence EP and FP, while FP and R&D projects are associated with the likelihood of being part of a farm diversification class. Moreover, this study shows that innovation networks, promoted by specialized agricultural advisors and R&D projects, are important forms of open innovation in the agricultural sector.
Research limitations/implications
The study contributes to understanding the agricultural sector's diversification efforts and (open) innovation networks and their association with EP and FP. The conventional or unconventional nature of farm diversification was self-reported.
Practical implications
European and local institutions are advised to develop more R&D programs directed to farmers, including environmental and financial issues, besides comprising agricultural and non-agricultural diversification.
Originality/value
This study provides new insights to understand the association between diversification efforts, (open) innovation networks and agricultural businesses' performance.
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Fiona Hutton, Geoff Noller and Alice McSherry
This study aims to explore people’s experiences of taking cannabis therapeutically and to gather some real-world evidence (RWE) about the products they were using, their efficacy…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore people’s experiences of taking cannabis therapeutically and to gather some real-world evidence (RWE) about the products they were using, their efficacy and what kinds of positive or negative effect/s patients experienced. The focus of this discussion is the efficacy of cannabis for the participants in this study.
Design/methodology/approach
This was an exploratory study that used a mixed methods approach: a survey and semi-structured interviews. The data presented here focus on thematic analysis of five of the open-ended survey questions. Results from a purposive survey sample are also briefly reported. Interview data are not reported on here.
Findings
Across the sample (n = 213), 95.6% of participants reported that taking cannabis helped them with a number of conditions. The most common three themes across the thematic analysis were that cannabis helped with pain relief, sleep and anxiety. Negative effects, some of which related to having to source cannabis from the illicit market, were relatively minor and experienced by 28% (n = 58) of participants. An important finding was that 49% (n = 76) of those who said their use of prescribed medicines had decreased (n = 155), significantly decreased and in some cases stopped their use of prescribed medications.
Originality/value
This study reports on a sample of participants with clinically diagnosed conditions and adds to the RWE base about the efficacy of using cannabis for therapeutic purposes in the New Zealand context.
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John York, Kaley Lugo, Lukasz Jarosz and Michael Toscani
The purpose of this study is to understand how Amazon’s threat may impact the Pharmacy Industry as a whole and whether traditional drugstore chains such as consumer value stores…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to understand how Amazon’s threat may impact the Pharmacy Industry as a whole and whether traditional drugstore chains such as consumer value stores (CVS) Pharmacy will need to re-think their business strategy, especially in the digital space, to account for potential disruption.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a hypothetical case study used as a teaching exercise to guide the learner through a decision-making process. The case starts by presenting a disruption in the retail pharmacy business that the main character must navigate by using real-world data and insights, provided in the case, to formulate a recommendation.
Findings
In an extremely competitive and consolidated pharmacy market, Amazon has the potential to change the business entirely. CVS Health will potentially face strong headwinds from Amazon’s PillPack and a downward trend in prescription sales. Regardless of the new competition, CVS Health continues to be innovative in the space. Instead of being a one-trick pony, CVS has encompassed the mentality of becoming a one-stop-shop by expanding into areas such as specialty pharmacy, health clinics, pharmacy benefits management and innovative digital capabilities.
Originality/value
This paper provides the reader with existing and known information about the evolving retail pharmacy business and allows the reader to interpret the new information to make their own decision on how a digital business strategy team can account for potential disruption.
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Guido Noto, Anna Prenestini, Federico Cosenz and Gustavo Barresi
Public health strategies and activities are intrinsically complex. According to the literature, this “wickedness” depends on the different interests and expectations of the…
Abstract
Purpose
Public health strategies and activities are intrinsically complex. According to the literature, this “wickedness” depends on the different interests and expectations of the stakeholders and the community, the fragmented governance of the related services and the challenges in measuring and assessing public health outcomes. Existent performance measures and management systems for public health are not designed to cope with wickedness since they are mainly focused on inputs and outputs, neglecting broader outcomes because of their long-term impact and the poor accountability of results. This research aims to tackle this shortfall by adopting a dynamic performance management (DPM) approach.
Design/methodology/approach
This research explores the case of the vaccination campaign of a Regional Health System. Through the analysis of an illustrative case study, the research discusses both opportunities and limits of the proposed approach.
Findings
This research highlights that DPM supports performance management (PM) in wicked contexts, thanks to the adoption of a system-wide perspective and the possibility of using simulation to experiment with alternative strategies and benchmarking performance results with simulated trends.
Originality/value
This article tackles a gap related to the management of wicked problems both from a theory and a practical perspective. In particular, this research suggests the adoption of DPM as an approach that may support policymakers in tackling social pluralism, institutional complexity and scientific uncertainty all at once.
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André Manoel Correia-Santos, Gabriela Câmara Vicente and Gilson Teles Boaventura
The purpose of this review of the literature is to provide data about flaxseed intake during pregnancy and/or lactation and its effects in the offspring from birth to adulthood.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this review of the literature is to provide data about flaxseed intake during pregnancy and/or lactation and its effects in the offspring from birth to adulthood.
Design/methodology/approach
This review includes up-to-date information from evidence-based sources on flaxseed intake and its by-products, during pregnancy and lactation and its effects on male and female offspring, from post-weaning until adulthood. Topics included are effects on body mass; glycaemic metabolism; lipid profile; blood pressure and aortic structure; reproductive system and brain tissue.
Findings
The main effects of flaxseed or its by-products were observed in the cardiovascular system, where a lipid profile improvement and minor aortic remodelling were noticed, and in the cerebral development, where greater n-3 PUFA incorporation in the brain was detected.
Originality/value
The research done in this study, to understand the offspring response that were early exposed to the flaxseed components during pregnancy and lactation, may be the first step toward guiding future strategies for recommending the use of this seed during the offspring’s perinatal period.
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