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The purpose of this paper to develop an empirical methodology for managing spatial basis risk in weather index insurance by studying the fundamental causes for differences in weather risk between distributed locations.

The paper systematically compares insurance payouts at nearby locations based on differences in geographical characteristics. The geographic characteristics include distance between stations and differences in altitude, latitude, and longitude.

Geographic differences are poor predictors of payouts. The strongest predictor of payout at a given location is payout at nearby location. However, altitude has a persistent effect on heat risk and distance between stations increases payout discrepancies for precipitation risk.

Given that payouts in a given area are highly correlated, it may be possible to insure multiple weather stations in a single contract as a “risk portfolio” for any one location.

Spatial basis risk is a fundamental problem of index insurance and yet is still largely unexplored in the literature.

Virus Attack!. Just a few weeks ago one of our PCs was attacked by the “stoned” virus, a virulent strain that attaches itself to the boot sector and partition table of any disk that happens to be around. If you have a hard disk, all you have to do is place an infected floppy disk in Drive A: and ask for a directory listing (DIR). That's enough to transfer the virus to the hard disk; from there it will infect every other floppy you place into the system.

The following story is based on a real‐life situation. It actually happened. We're telling it hoping to provide some sense of optimism in that it is possible to recover from disasters like this, though perhaps not completely. We are also printing this in Computers in Libraries, a sister publication, to reach as many people as possible.

During a short two‐decade period (1879‐1903) processes for making food packages – paperboard cartons, tinplate cans and glass bottles – were mechanized by American inventor/entrepreneurs Robert Gair, Edwin Norton and Michael Owens, respectively. This paper aims to describe the context for packaged, processed food at the time, and to explore the men, their inventions, and the modern packaging industry that they collectively developed.

Biographies and patents were reviewed as well as contemporaneous and retrospective trade publications, newspapers, censuses and commentary.

Packaging's industrial revolution played a key role in the development of modern marketing. Mass‐produced cartons, cans and bottles collectively became building blocks for mass markets. By the time of the first supermarket in 1920, annual sales of packaged breakfast cereal, crackers, biscuits, canned fruits and vegetables, preserves, soft drinks and other prepared foods had increased by 60‐fold over 1880 levels, 80 percent of which occurred after 1910. The packaging companies of Gair, Norton and Owens capitalized on new methods of production and business integration (and collusion) to profit from the trend, and enabled emerging national brands like Nabisco, Campbell's Soup and Coca‐Cola to successfully lead a revolution in mass marketing.

This paper shows why and how the practically simultaneous invention of machines to make cartons, cans and bottles was able to accelerate the development of national brands and supermarkets. Inasmuch as the histories of the three packaging forms are not considered to be in the same “industry,” this research represents a fresh interpretation of secondary sources.

This chapter presents the results of a process of reflexive thematic analysis. It highlights the recovery journeys of those with mental health, addiction and dual diagnosis challenge. In doing so, a number of similarities occurred. These included beginning in a place of trauma, working to cope with the trauma, seeking help from services, peer support, relapse and finally fully embracing recovery in one’s own life. A number of differentials were also identified, including additional steps in the mental health recovery journey along with the title of various phases of recovery. The chapter ends with an acknowledgement of these similarities and differentials which the following chapter can then utilise as a basis for making recommendations to policy, practice and the users of services themselves.

User involvement and co-production are imperative to the design, delivery and evaluation of service provision. This chapter provides a brief introduction to these concepts as they relate to mental health, addiction and dual diagnosis. This occurs through an exploration of models of user involvement, particularly, Arnstein’s ladder of participation and MHERs engagement continuum. This is followed by exploring the benefits of user involvement at both a micro and macro level. Co-production – as the highest form of participation is also introduced followed by how these concepts are noted within policy. These concepts are imperative to the creation of a recovery-orientated service that meets the needs of the whole person and their supporters.

I still have an affiliation to BSI, but my current prime role is with a new organisation called Resource which is half‐way between the British Government and BSI, with an express role to improve the influence of the UK through co‐operative projects with overseas countries. So, the sort of information consultancy I was doing in Thailand and Saudi Arabia, and various other countries, I am still doing but with a wider brief to help not only BSI but other quality organisations and I hope possibly organisations like the ones you work for. One of the reasons why I am saying this is to encourage you to see me at a later stage if you have any interest in overseas developments of projects on the information side, to see whether we can assist or even contribute funds towards the development of such things. Having only been with Resource since 25 January 1988, I think it would be undiplomatic of me to speak on their behalf, so for the purpose of this exercise I am speaking only as John Widdowson, individual and traveller, with, hopefully, some outside view.

Mental health services have changed significantly in the past few decades. Currently, our services are transforming from one that was biomedically led to one that encompasses a recovery orientation. Additionally, a new field of study as it related to mental health care is emerging that of trauma-informed care. In this chapter, we explore briefly what we mean by the terms trauma and trauma-informed care. This is followed by a critical examination of how co-production and servant leadership can work together to support individuals through their trauma towards recovery and well-being. From which, we suggest that peer support workers are suitable candidates to co-produce trauma-informed services as they embody the connecting principles of choice and empowerment needed for all three concepts to converge and work together to enhance recovery and well-being. While I focus on using co-production in the mental health space in this chapter, the principles and practices can equally apply to other health and social care services.

No matter what the revision level of a software product, you will purchase it initially as an original program. This initial purchase of software does not need to be at retail prices. Microsoft Word may cost its official $450.00 somewhere, but almost no one sells it at that price. We've been purchasing that product for sometime now, usually for about $200 by mail order. PC Connection (800–243–8088), for example, sells Word 5.0 for $209. Similar discounts are available in many places. Even local retail stores typically knock a large percentage off the official price.