Record High Levels Research Articles

Could breaks reduce general practitioner burnout and improve safety? A daily diary study.

Rates of burnout are currently at record high levels, and GPs experience higher burnout than many other specialties. Organisational interventions may reduce burnout, but few studies have investigated these in primary care. The current study investigated whether breaks, both with and without social interactions, were associated with burnout and patient safety perceptions in GPs. A within-subjects, interval contingent, quantitative daily diary design. UK GP practices. Participants completed questionnaires at baseline measuring demographic variables, burnout and patient safety perceptions. They then completed a questionnaire in the evening each day for a week which captured whether they had taken a break that day, whether it involved a positive social interaction, burnout (comprising subscales of disengagement and exhaustion), positive and negative affect and patient safety perceptions. The data were analysed using hierarchical linear modelling to assess same-day and next-day associations. We included 241 responses from 58 GPs for analysis. Taking at least one break (involving any or no social interactions) was associated with lower disengagement that day and lower exhaustion the next day. Taking at least one break involving a positive interaction was associated with 1) lower disengagement, exhaustion, overall burnout and negative affect on the same day, as well as higher positive affect and improved perceptions of patient safety, and 2) lower exhaustion and improved patient safety perceptions on the next day. Organizing daily team or practice breaks where staff can socialise may help to reduce burnout and improve perceptions of patient safety.

2023 Development and production review

Geopolitical uncertainty remained high in 2023 with Israeli actions in the Gaza strip, the continuing war in Ukraine and tension between China and several neighbouring countries. However, global inflationary pressures, surprisingly, eased during the year, and the prospect of a global recession faded from where it had been in 2022. In Australia continued activism around climate change issues, has impacted project developments and sentiment in the industry remained subdued. This paper looks back at the oil and gas production and development activities in Australia in 2023 providing historical context and trying to understand future implications for the industry. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) production in Australia remained close to record high levels although, not without problems. Both the Scarborough/Pluto 2 LNG project and the Barossa project continued to have legal and approval hurdles resulting in suspension of some execution activities. Elsewhere other projects continued with their plans, including the Kipper field in the Gippsland Basin, the Crux project in the Browse Basin and the Walyering project in the Perth Basin which was brought online in September 2023. The domestic markets also continued to have unique issues with major concerns about gas supply in the East, stalled developments and failing supply in the Northern Territory, and a renewed ban on any exports (including to other states) of gas from Western Australia.

Factors Affecting Contraceptives usage among Pupils in Selected Secondary Schools within Chingola District, Zambia

Background: The contraceptives usage among pupils remains a topical issue globally, regionally and locally. Zambia is underpinned by Christian principles and values and despite that, the country continues to record high levels of unplanned pregnancies among pupils and this hampers the education of a girl child. The study has established that most pupils are sexually active and this puts them at a higher risk of getting unplanned pregnancies and consequently dropping out of School. Objective: The study aimed at investigating the “Factors Affecting Contraceptive Usage Among Pupils in Selected Secondary Schools within Chingola District, Zambia”. Methods and Materials: The study used a cross- sectional study design in which 52 pupils from Chingola and Sekela Secondary Schools were included in a study. The study employed semi-questionnaires and interview guides. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21. Chi-square test was used to determine the relationship between independent and dependent variables. Conclusion: The study has revealed that pupils are at a higher risk of unplanned pregnancies as well as sexually transmitted diseases despite them having knowledge of contraceptives usage. The study has also indicated that 63.5% of pupils were aware of the existence of contraceptives and their functions as a means of prevention of pregnancies. Therefore, there is need of deliberate move by Ministry of Health through District Health offices to promote accessibility to various methods of contraceptives by pupils especially those in Secondary Schools who are sexually active.

Examining the effect of the UK oil and gas windfall tax on the economics of new fields in the UKCS province

Recent events in the global political economy have led to record high levels of oil and gas prices. In the UK, this has meant (1) a cost-of-living crisis; and (2) a significant increase in profits earned by companies in the upstream UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) sector. To help fund a cost-of-living support scheme for UK households, the UK Government recently introduced a windfall tax on upstream UKCS operations. There have been concerns however that the new tax would downgrade the value of UKCS assets hence diminishing the global competitiveness of the province. In this paper, I develop an optimisation model that fully incorporates all instruments of the new UK windfall taxation regime. The model is then applied to twelve wholly new UKCS fields currently under review by the UK Government for development approval. I show that whilst the new UK windfall tax reduces field economic value for all fields, the extent of the reduction is unlikely to cause premature abandonment of the fields. Consequently, the tax would not significantly injure the global competitiveness of the province. For the UK Government, the windfall tax would raise about $ 1.97 billion in tax revenues from the new fields in question. Finally, I derive the critical oil price levels that should trigger an accelerated phase out of the windfall tax in order to maintain the global competitiveness of the UKCS province should future oil prices slump.

Telecouplings in Atlantic cod—The role of global trade and climate change

Seafood trade is a global business, where catches, processing, and consumption are increasingly separated. An increasingly integrated global market creates telecouplings, i.e. connections between fish stocks that are ecologically separated. These telecouplings may spread the impact of vulnerabilities, such as climate change, between unconnected fisheries. The effect of climate change on fisheries is often analyzed on a fish stock basis, which may overlook the spread of these vulnerabilities. Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) stocks, an iconic fish species, are no exception. Depending on the geographical location, stocks have been impacted differently by climate change, with North-East Arctic (NEA) cod, the stock in the Barents Sea, reaching record high biomass levels and other stocks being extremely depleted. Here, we investigate how these dynamics occurring in the ecological system affect global trade of cod. We find that the global export is fully dominated by NEA cod catches. Applying Structural Equation Modelling, we discover that the high biomass level of NEA cod has positive effects on catches and exports and leads to lower global market prices. However, zooming in on individual stocks and the countries exploiting them using correlation networks, we find heterogeneous responses of other countries, where catches for some stocks increase and others decrease in response to lower global prices. Our results highlight how changes on one fishery may have important repercussion on stocks in different ecosystems, as well as on societies reliant on them.

THE IMPACT OF EXTREME WATER LEVELS ON TORONTO ISLAND PARK AND INCREASING RESILIENCE AGAINST FUTURE FLOOD EVENTS

Toronto Island Park is a chain of fifteen low-lying islands in Lake Ontario located just south of the Toronto shoreline in Ontario, Canada. The Park serves as a popular year-round urban attraction of significant economic importance, and showcases unique natural features, cultural heritage, and sensitive ecosystems. The Park is home to Billy Bishop Airport, Centreville Amusement Park, numerous small businesses, and over 250 residential homes. In recent years, the Toronto Islands have suffered significant physical and economic impacts due to flooding caused by extreme wet weather and record high water levels on Lake Ontario. In 2021, Baird was retained by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) to develop long-term flood and erosion mitigation concept alternatives to replace temporary and emergency measures and to increase the functionality and resilience of the flood control infrastructure on the islands. This abstract outlines the various concept alternatives that were considered, the public engagement process and resulting preferred concepts for flood mitigation.

Strategic Analysis of the Renewable Electricity Transition: Power to the World without Carbon Emissions?

This paper explores the role of electricity in the transition to renewable energy to mitigate climate change. A systematic literature review with the Scopus database identified 92 papers relevant to the renewable electricity transition. A PESTLE (Political, Economic, Sociological, Technological, Legal, and Environmental) review of the papers provided a multidisciplinary analysis. The Paris Agreement created a global movement for carbon neutrality to address the threats of climate change, calling for a transition to renewable electricity to lead the way and expand into new sectors and regions. Although smaller renewable technologies are ramping up, complexities thwarting the transition include locked-in assets, high upfront costs, variability of solar and wind energy, infrastructure, difficulty in decarbonizing transportation and industry, material resource constraints, and fossil fuel support. This research found that renewables are not replacing fossil fuels to date but adding further energy demands, so that greenhouse gas emissions rose in 2021 despite an increased renewable electricity share. Without a major shift in the trillions of dollars of subsidies and investment away from fossil fuels to renewables, catastrophic climate change is predicted. This paper found that the Paris Agreement’s commitment to net-zero carbon and the transition to renewable electricity are undermined by record-high levels of subsidies and financing for fossil fuel industry expansion. Transitioning to a climate-neutral economy requires an investment away from fossil fuels into renewable energy ecosystems. Renewable electricity provides possibilities to realize sustainable development goals, climate stabilization, job creation, a green economy, and energy security with careful planning.

Development and production review 2022

The Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia (PESA) Year in Review Development and Production review looks back at the oil and gas production and development activities in Australia in 2022, with a look at both the historical context of these activities, and the future implications. With the invasion of Ukraine, increasing inflationary pressures, supply chain problems, the prospect of a global recession looming, the impact of COVID-19 still lingering, and increased activism around climate change issues, sentiment was subdued for most of the year, yet there were still several highlights and events. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) production again hit record high levels although, as expected, Australia lost its position as the top LNG exporting country in the world to the USA. The development of the Scarborough/Pluto 2 LNG project continued, as did the Barossa project, although the latter hit legal and approval hurdles resulting in suspension of drilling activities (which are not expected to impact the overall schedule). Final investment decisions were taken on the further development of the Kipper field in the Gippsland Basin, the Crux project in the Browse Basin and the Walyering project in the Perth Basin. The domestic markets continue to have unique issues with major concerns about gas supply in the East co-existing with stalled developments and falling supply in the Northern Territory in stark contrast to the West, where there is significant development and take-over activity.

Evaluate the Complete Blood Picture and Some Biochemical Parameters in Patients referred to the dialysis unit in Diyala General Hospital

Research done on 40 patients; 24 males, 20-79 years, and 16 females, 42-67 years; referred to dialysis unit, Baqubah hospital, in November and December, 2021; January and February 2022. Creatinine, Urea and Iron, record high levels. Glucose, calcium, sodium, potassium, and phosphate, were within normal, and low levels of albumin. Means of Total Erythrocyte Counts (TECs), hemoglobin (Hb), Hematocrit% (HCT), and Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC), showed lowered level. While, Mean Cell Volume (MCV), Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH), Mean Red Blood Cell Distribution Width- Standard Deviation (RDW-SD), Mean Red Blood Cell Distribution Width- Coefficient of Variation (RDW-CV), were within normal. Total Leucocyte Counts (TLCs), Neutrophils, Lymphocytes, Eosinophil, Basophils, were within normal, Platelet Counts and related parameter were within normal. Within ranges some values were higher than normal as, potassium, phosphate, (RDW-SD), (RDW-CV), Neutrophils%, Eosinophil%, Lymphocytes, Mean Platelets Volume (MPV). While some other values were lower as sodium, (TRCs), (Hb), (HCT %), (MCV), (MCH), (MCHC), (RDW-SD), (TLCs), Lymphocytes%, platelets, Platelet Distribution Width (PDW), Platelet- Large Cell Ratio (P-LCR). But some values of glucose, and calcium, were high, and some other low. At the same time Monocytes%, Basophils% was within normal range. In conclusion creatinine and urea levels have an important role in diagnosis and follow- up of kidney failure. All patients have high levels of urea, iron and creatinine. But not all have higher level of potassium and glucose. Sodium and albumin, showed decreased level. Blood picture revealed microcytic, hypochromic anemia; as (TECs), (Hb), (HCT %), (MCHC) and (RDW-SD) were of lower values.

The impact of corporate social responsibility on the financial performance of renewable energy firms

Tackling environmental pollution and climate change is a global challenge. Therefore, sustainability has become a hugely relevant topic in recent years. In their decision making, investors increasingly consider the non-financial performance of companies such as their social and environmental impact. However, the business research community has not yet reached a consensus regarding the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate financial performance. This research contributes to the discussion on this relationship. It does so by assessing the impact of the individual dimensions of the environmental, social and governance (ESG) score on the corporate financial performance of renewable energy firms from a quantitative and qualitative perspective. Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) reveals complex and equifinal configurations that lead companies to record high and low levels of Tobin’s Q. The results for a sample of 96 energy companies from the Eikon database do not provide strong enough evidence to affirm that the individual dimensions of the ESG score have a decisive effect on the corporate financial performance of renewable energy firms.

Competition of polar and antipolar states hidden behind a variety of polarization switching modes in hydrogen-bonded molecular chains.

Switchable π-electron systems are very powerful fragments to emphasize ferroelectric or antiferroelectric polarizations up to record-high levels among organic molecular crystals. According to the Cambridge Structural Database, many azole crystals such as imidazoles and tetrazoles contain polar and bistable hydrogen-bonded molecular sequences suitable for ferroelectricity or antiferroelectricity. Indeed, polarization hysteresis experiments on the 5-phenyl-1H-tetrazole (PHTZ) family combined with single crystal structural analysis have revealed one ferroelectric, two antiferroelectrics, and two hybrid-like dielectrics. Here, the rich variations for the interrelation between the hydrogen-bonding states and the polarization switching modes are interpreted by density functional theory (DFT) calculations with an excellent consistency. Large switchable polarizations are theoretically confirmed, and, as expected, the largest contribution is the switchable π-electron systems. By mapping the energy levels of polar/antipolar states, the disordered hydrogen bonds always appear when the ground state is accompanied by a nearly degenerate state. The straightforward case is the hybrid-like dielectric caused by the competition between the polar and antipolar states. However, contrastive behaviors are observed when the switchable dipoles are involved in competition between the different antipolar arrangement. For example, the PHTZ crystal exhibits typical antiferroelectric switching regardless of the hydrogen disorder, whereas polarization switching is silent in the imidazole derivatives. The latter is explained by the switching field increase with depth of the ground state relative to the energy level of the polar state.

Post-Corona World Revisited: Economic, Political and Social Effects of Covid-19 Pandemic

Since the beginning of 2020 the world has been experiencing difficult times due the eruption and subsequent effects of a coronavirus called Covid-19. So far it has caused more than 6 million deaths, many more millions active patients and hundreds of millions recovered. More importantly many things in our economic, political, social and academic lives have changed for good. To be fair and balanced, we can talk about both negative and positive effects of Corona. On the one hand, in our so-called “new normal,” government regulations and state interventions became more visible, inflation climbed to record-high levels all over the world, we lost some of our loved ones, and wearing mask became part of our life. On the other hand, sensitivity to hygiene and cleanliness has increased, technological infrastructure and digitalization has been improved tremendously in this process, many educational services started to be offered over the internet, and virtual zoom-meetings became part of our academic life. This article reviews the basic effects of Covid-19 on economic and social life from both perspectives, negative as well as positive.

An Analysis of Pakistan’s Vulnerability to Economic Crisis

The post 9/11 scenario in Pakistan’s economy can readily be identified with a host of positive developments. Real GDP growth rates have averaged around 6 percent since 2002, stock market surges have broken all the previous records, there is much more dynamism in the banking industry, capital flows are pouring into the economy, foreign exchange reserves have swelled to record high levels, and poverty has witnessed a declining trend. However, what mars these celebrations since last year is the scepticism of some market commentators on the growing vulnerability of Pakistan’s economy to crisis.1 The main weakness, as widely pointed out, remains the sustainability of current account deficit along with rising fiscal imbalances. A review of empirical literature on the determinants of currency crisis introduces a host of macroeconomic fundamentals broadly based on the predictions of the seminal first- and second-generation models. Although the list of these determinants varies from study to study, the consensus appears to be on the sustainability of external and fiscal positions as the main predictors of a crisis. An overview of the Pakistani fundamentals since 2000 reveals that broadly key Pakistani economic indicators do not give an immediate cause for concern. However, the emergence of primary budget balance as a deficit and the growing trade and current account deficits in the last two years does seem to be a cause for concern.

Diet composition of redfish (Sebastes sp.) during periods of population collapse and massive resurgence in the Gulf of St. Lawrence

Redfish (Sebastes mentella and S. fasciatus) are back at spectacular record high levels in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (GSL) and the effects of this massive resurgence on other components of the food web remain largely unknown. To better understand the trophic implications of the surging redfish biomass within the GSL ecosystem, 3,690 stomachs containing food were collected during two periods: one characterised by low redfish abundance (1993–1999) and the other during a period of record abundance (2015–2019). Taxonomical analysis of stomach contents from individuals of different sizes from three subareas of the GSL was carried out to determine diet composition during both periods. Zooplankton represented the main prey category for small redfish (< 20 cm), which was driven by a predation on amphipods, mostly Themisto sp. in North-East Gulf, in the 1990s and on copepods of the genus Calanus in the deep channels and euphausiids in North-West Gulf in the 2010s. Themisto sp. still dominated the diet of medium (20–30 cm) redfish in the 1990s while the copepods were predominant during the 2010s. Shrimp consumption increased with redfish size and two species were particularly important in large redfish diet (≥ 30 cm) during both periods: pink glass shrimp (Pasiphaea multidentata), mostly in the Laurentian Channel and northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis), especially in North-East Gulf. Redfish predation on shrimp represents a major concern for the dynamics of the northern shrimp which supports a valuable fishery in the GSL but has been declining in abundance since several years. Piscivory was observed in large redfish diet, with capelin (Mallotus villosus) being the major fish prey in the 1990s and redfish (cannibalism) in the 2010s, suggesting density-dependent control at high density of small redfish. By presenting a detailed overview into the redfish diet composition and its temporal variability, the present study offers a first look into the possible future trophic impacts of a resurging groundfish in the GSL ecosystem.

The Great Resignation: Applying the Lessons of Job Embeddedness to Reduce Employee Turnover

The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated so many and has changed the lives of millions of workers around the world. The pandemic has made it difficult for organizations to meet goals and maintain performance due to record high levels of employee turnover. While management consulting firms continue to provide advice regarding how to mitigate and reduce the effects of dysfunctional voluntary turnover in this period known as the

Trends in housing markets during the economic crisis and Covid-19 pandemic: Turkish case

The recent global economic crisis and pandemic have shown that housing markets are highly exposed to the prevailing economic and social circumstances. Relevant literature indicates that housing output and transaction volumes were negatively affected during the Covid-19 pandemic. In contrast, price levels displayed variations under different circumstances shaped by demand shifts. Housing affordability conditions also deteriorated and household budgets were squeezed by the high housing cost burden due to the loss of livelihood and increased time spent at home during lockdowns. In the Turkish case, a severe economic crisis in 2018/19 preceded the Covid-19 pandemic. Housing output, housing prices, and the unemployment rate were much more affected by the economic crisis than by the pandemic. Spatial variation in the changes in the supply level was not homogeneous throughout the country. Lower supply levels were observed in the southern and south-eastern parts of the country and the major employment centres. However, compared to the international tendencies, total demand for housing increased, raising the housing transaction volume to record-high levels. In addition, housing prices during the pandemic skyrocketed, accompanied by increasing inflation rates. Furthermore, a demand shift towards single-family houses was observed, and the price gap between single-family houses and flats has widened since the pandemic began. The investment function of housing became prominent once again for wealthier households during the high inflation periods observed during the pandemic. The major conclusion drawn from this study is that the housing market deepened the existing inequalities in society during the current pandemic.

Extreme water level rise across the upper Laurentian Great Lakes region: Citizen science documentation 2010–2020

As the global water balance accelerates in a warming climate, extreme fluctuations in the water levels of lakes and aquifers are anticipated, with biogeochemical, ecological and water supply consequences. However, it is unclear how site-specific factors, such as location, morphometry and hydrology, will modulate these impacts on regional spatial scales. Here, we report water level time series collected by citizen scientists for 15 diverse inland lakes in the upper Laurentian Great Lakes region from 2010 to 2020, and we compare these time series with those for the two largest Great Lakes, Lake Superior and Lake Michigan-Huron. Combined with historical data (1942–2010), the findings indicate that lakes spanning seven orders of magnitude in size (10−2 to 105 km2) all rebounded from record low to record high water levels during the recent decade. They suggest coherent water level oscillations among regional lakes (large and small) implying a common, near-decadal, climatic driver that may be changing.

The Precariat and the Pandemic: Assessing the Well-Being of Metro Orlando's Hospitality Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Recently, the COVID‐19 pandemic has served as a catalyst for precaritization highlighting the instability plaguing many American workers. As the rapid spread of the virus led to the closure of businesses, both temporarily and permanently, the nation reached record high levels of unemployment. The effects of the pandemic have fallen unequally among different groups forcing women, people of color, and low‐income, precarious workers to endure the brunt of the economic downturn. In particular, the hospitality industry, comprised of those employed in restaurants, bars, event/convention centers, theme parks, and the like, was and continues to be the hardest hit by the effects of COVID‐19. We explore the experiences of 454 hospitality industry workers in the Metro Orlando, Florida area during the COVID‐19 pandemic using data collected using an online survey. The purpose of this research is twofold. First, it seeks to identify the effects of the COVID‐19 pandemic upon hospitality workers in the metro Orlando area across the dimensions of employment status, financial stability, mental health, housing, and food security. The second aim of this research adopts Kalleberg and Vallas' recommendation for analysis of hierarchies in precarious work by identifying differential outcomes across the aforementioned dimensions along the lines of race, gender, and income type (salaried, tipped, hourly) to explore stratification within the precariat. Findings reflect the potentially devastating consequences of precarity and expand upon conceptualizations of the precariat by offering empirical evidence of disparities within this group.

Concurrent 13. Presentation for: 2021 Development and production review

Presented on Wednesday 18 May: Session 13 The Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia (PESA) Year in Review Development and Production review looks back at the oil and gas production and development activities in Australia in 2021, with a look at both the historical context of these activities, and the future implications. With the impact of COVID-19 continuing throughout the year, and increased awareness of the impact of emissions on climate change there were several notable highlights and events for the year. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) production hit record high levels and confirmed Australia as the current top LNG exporting country in the world. Two major LNG-related projects were sanctioned: Barossa in March 2021, and Scarborough/Pluto 2 in November 2021 and the Moomba Carbon Capture and Storage project was also sanctioned in November. The domestic market looked a lot like the classic novel ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ with major concerns about gas supply in the East contrasting with significant discoveries and development in the Perth Basin in the West. To access the presentation click the link on the right. To read the full paper click here

Strengthening Diabetes Care in Humanitarian Crises in Low- and Middle-income Settings.

Amid the growing global diabetes epidemic, the scale of forced displacement resulting from armed conflict and humanitarian crises is at record-high levels. More than 80% of the displaced population lives in lower- and middle-income countries, which also host 81% of the global population living with diabetes. Most crises are protracted, often lasting decades, and humanitarian aid organizations are providing long-term primary care to both the local and displaced populations. Humanitarian crises are extremely varied in nature and occur in contexts that are diverse and dynamic. The scope of providing diabetes care varies depending on the phase of the crisis. This paper describes key challenges and possible solutions to improving diabetes care in crisis settings. It focuses on (1) ensuring a reliable supply of life preserving medications and diagnostics, (2) restoring and maintaining access to health care, and (3) adapting service design to the context. These challenges are illustrated through case studies in Ukraine, Mali, the Central African Republic, and Jordan.