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Due to the predicted global temperature rise and local expansion and densification of cities, Urban Heat Islands (UHI) are likely to increase in the Netherlands. As spatial characteristics of a city influence its climate, urban design could be deployed to mitigate the combined effects of climate change and UHIs. Although cities are already experiencing problems during warm-weather periods, no clear spatial means or strategies are available for urban designers to alleviate heat stress. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

There is a lack of knowledge on cooling effects that can be achieved through urban design in Dutch neighbourhoods. In this paper, the cooling effects of various design measures are compared on the level of urban blocks and neighbourhoods, with a focus on a 1960s neighbourhood in Amsterdam-West. The cooling effects are simulated by means of the microclimate model ENVI-met, here the effects on air temperature and physiological equivalent temperature will be evaluated.

The use of green, and a higher roof albedo in particular, seem to perform well as cooling measures. Combinations of cooling measures do not necessarily result in better performance and might even counteract other cooling effects. However, combinations of measures that lead to an increase in the environmental temperature show the largest heating.

Effects of green roofs and facades are beyond the scope of this study, though future suggestions for this research will be included.

The results add to the body of knowledge in the area of climate design enabling policy makers and designers to estimate the effect of simulated measures in comparable neighbourhoods and thus improve thermal comfort in outdoor spaces.

The double-skin façade (DSF) is one of the most crucial paradigms of building envelope design in last decades. DSF prospects a unified architectural phenomenon based on comfort rank of building driven by the dogmas of aesthetic-glass façade and practical-natural ventilation aspirations. Therefore, the utilization of DSF has been the most prevalent catalyst for architectural design.

The study discusses to structure a valid evaluation method focusing on DSF elements in order to fragment human comfort standards within asserting an accurate system in the preliminary design stage. The study significantly examines the tools/ways of integrating DSFs' human comfort parameters in contemporary architecture though a convincing design system. Apparently, the study aims to provide a proposed guideline within a established analyzing system for architects in order to better formation of DSF elements; which refers and promote the human comfort standards. The results demonstrate a modest insight on understanding the potentials of DSF elements in the early design stage significantly following defined architectural conceptions; cooling, lighting, thermal, acoustic and visual comfort intensity. Based on obtained data; study aims to enclose a diminutive knowledge or demonstration of how the concept might work for future development of contemporary architecture within DSF area.

The published evidence in support of a tonsillectomy is equivocal relying on historical studies using objective outcome measures. Based on this, NICE have suggested that tonsillectomy is a “low clinical value treatment” and its funding curtailed by PCTs. This paper aims to prospectively evaluate the effect of a tonsillectomy on quality of life (QOL) of children affected by recurrent infective tonsillitis using a qualitative patient reported outcome measure (PROM).

Parents of children under the age of 16, undergoing a tonsillectomy, were enrolled. Parents completed a paediatric throat disorders outcome (PTDO) test prior to their child's surgery and then six months post‐operatively. Results were analysed using the Mann‐Whitney U test. The power of the study was 0.8 to detect a difference of 10 in a total score of 70.

A total of 63 children participated and an 86 per cent response rate was received at six months. The mean total score improved from 31.29 pre‐op to 7.41 post‐op (p<0.001). The mean score for the first two subgroups remained static but for the remaining 12 sub‐groups significantly improved post‐op.

The study demonstrates that performing tonsillectomies in a carefully selected cohort of children, significantly improves their QOL. It adds to a growing body of evidence that tonsillectomy is not a “low clinical value procedure” and has a substantial impact on the patients' symptoms.

Most studies of conflict handling styles in organizations analyze these styles separately. These studies assume that individuals are oriented towards the use of one of the styles of conflict management. As a result, different styles are compared one by one as if they were independent. In contrast, from a more all‐embracing perspective people are seen as adopting configurations of styles. The interest in this alternative perspective lies in exploring the relations between these styles, how they combine and form patterns of conflict styles. This article presents an exploratory study that seeks to identify empirically the specific combinations of conflict handling styles that result in differentiated patterns within groups of managers. By using hierarchical and non‐hierarchical cluster analyses of a sample of managers, different patterns of conflict management were identified. The effectiveness of each of the resulting patterns was analyzed in terms of its influence on the parties' joint substantive outcomes and their mutual relationship. Results show that patterns using multiple conflict handling styles were more effective than patterns based on a single style.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a scientific method to evaluate possible urban layouts of a test building integrating building regulations, natural light standard and energy requirements to achieve nearly zero-energy buildings in Estonia. The integration of building regulations, energy requirements and natural light standards is crucial to evaluate the incidence of the surrounding environment when analyzing the energy performance of buildings.

The paper investigates the variations of the energy consumption of a model building with different orientations and variable urban surroundings configurations for the latitude of Tallinn. The different urban configurations are due to combinations of the different building requirements of fire safety, daylighting and insolation hours that in Estonia affect the layout of residential districts, thus influencing significantly the potential consumption of buildings. Different layouts of surrounding buildings have been chosen all guaranteeing at different degrees the fulfillment of the building requirements for the test building and energy simulations have been run to find the urban layouts that guarantee best performances.

The outcomes show that the test building interior temperatures and energy performances vary significantly in the different urban planning configurations and for the different orientations, underlining that is strongly recommended to run always energy simulation of building considering their surrounding environment. The conclusions show the principles to integrate the building regulations to achieve nearly zero-energy districts that significantly can improve life quality in the urban environment.

The paper analyze the energy efficiency of buildings with different features and orientations simulating their possible urban environment layouts given by building regulations, and not isolated or as built in “an open field” like most of the existing literature in the field.

The authors have examined the developments in law and in practice concerning integrated reporting. An integrated report combines the most material elements of information about corporate performance (re: financial, governance, social and environmental functioning) – currently reported in separate reports – into one coherent whole. The authors first explore the motivation of companies and legislators to introduce integrating reporting. Next, they analyse how integrated reporting can be supported by legislation thereby taking into account the existing regulatory environment.

Literature study; desk research, analysing integrated reports; organisation of an international academic conference (30 May 2012 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands).

EU law needs adjusting in the field of corporate annual reporting. Although integrated reporting is currently being explored by some frontrunners of the business community and is being encouraged by investors, the existing legal framework does not offer any incentive, nor is uniformity and credibility in the reporting of non-financial information stimulated. The law gives scant guidance to companies to that end. The authors argue that amending the mandatory EU framework can support the comparability and reliability of the corporate information. Moreover, a clear and sound EU framework on integrated corporate reporting will assist international companies in their reporting. Presently, companies have to comply with various regulations at an EU and a national level, which do not enhance a holistic view in corporate reporting. The authors provide options on how to do this. They suggest combining EU mandatory corporate reporting rules with the private regulatory reporting regime developed by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI).

Focus on EU and Dutch corporate reporting laws, non-legislative frameworks, and corporate practices of frontrunners.

The chapter can provide guidance to policymakers, companies and other stakeholders who want to form an opinion on how to legally support integrated reporting. It addresses important questions, especially concerning how European and domestic legislation could be adjusted in order to (i) reflect the newest insights regarding corporate transparency and (ii) become an adequate framework for companies with added benefits for financiers and investors. Moreover, it reports on the benefits of integrated reporting for reporting companies. The authors argue that integrated reporting can be a critical tool in implementing corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the main corporate strategy of a company.

In this chapter, the authors investigate the impact of the disclosure of corporate social responsibility (CSR) information (in the form of ethical certification announcements) on firm value, measured as stock market reactions. When determining the potential value of CSR practices, investors evaluate disclosed information against firm-level characteristics. To cope with uncertainties related to voluntary disclosure and information asymmetries, investors also rely on heuristic evaluations of the congruity between firm- and institutional-level characteristics. The authors find that ethical certification information is especially valuable in opaque contexts with fewer firm reporting standards and poor protection mechanisms for investors. Overall, our findings suggest that in contexts where information asymmetries between insiders and outsiders are higher, validation of CSR activities by independent third-party institutions is more effective as a value creation mechanism.