Durham College

ABSTRACT This paper starts from the evident impact made by James Barr’s 1961 book The Semantics of Biblical Language on biblical interpretation generally. It then rehearses the main elements of Barr’s account, suggesting that three in particular are core concerns: the linking of the structure of language and thought to whatever degree; the rejection of the significance of etymology (or root meanings); and the rejection of the confusion between word and concept. A taxonomy is then offered of five different levels of how to assess the significance or otherwise of these concerns: in terms of specific examples, linguistic theory, relevance to texts, theological hermeneutics, and the subject matter of scripture. Granting some measure of success of Barr’s book on the first level (specific examples, though their limited range is noteworthy), the remaining levels are then explored, and in each case it is suggested that Barr’s achievement is limited to the criticism of poor examples of interpretation, rather than the clarification of principles of general applicability to the interpretation of scripture. It is suggested in conclusion that there is no rationale for continued deference to The Semantics of Biblical Language as any kind of gatekeeper to the pursuit of biblical interpretation today.

Many studies on road and highways construction and operation (RHCO) have been conducted by researchers worldwide over the years, but there has been no study to date whereby the findings from the previous articles have been extensively reviewed from a geographical perspective. Furthermore, the published articles have not been unanimous in their findings for the same region, further bringing into question the reliability of previous research. The aim of this study is to review previous research on the topic of RHCO to identify the reasons for the variation in the findings from a geographical perspective. From the previous articles, the authors focused on (a) understanding available funding mechanisms, (b) benefits/challenges in funding mechanisms and (c) recommendations to improve current funding mechanisms. The review has been conducted in accordance with the standard of the Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre (EPPI) and follows a ‘preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis’ or ‘PRISMA’ model. The EPPI reviewer web software was used for data analysis and coding, studies identification, screening, eligibility check and final inclusion. The authors have prepared a cost/benefit analysis with recommendations summarizing the challenges faced in countries with poor economic conditions.

The generation of construction waste is critical due to its adverse environmental impact. This work assesses the construction and demolition waste (CDW) scenario in construction sites of Chennai and Kerala, India. The primary sources of CDW generation are procurement issues, waste handling, improper design, poor management, human factors and a lack of awareness. A mixed method approach analyses the effectiveness and statistically identifies the highly efficient practice of seven best practice measures of CDW. A structural equation model depicts the relationship between waste generation and management practices. The best fit among the factors of CDW is estimated. Proper procurement and design phases are the most efficient best practices observed in the current study. Creating awareness and handling materials are the least efficient practices. The significant findings benefit all stakeholders and policymakers in the construction sector to meet the United Nations sustainable development goal 11: sustainable cities and communities.

Oral liquid medications are frequently prescribed to children because they are easier to swallow than other dosage forms. These pediatric liquid medications (PLMs) have sugars added to them for better compliance or as preservatives. Children with chronic illnesses may frequently consume these medications. The presence of sugars and their frequent exposure presents a high risk of dental caries in these children. Additionally, the critical pH can be reached if acids below a pH of 5.5 contact the tooth, causing enamel demineralization. Hence, there was a need to study the sugar content and pH of these medications. Pediatricians and pharmacists in Vadodara city, Gujarat, India, were given a short questionnaire to assess the most prescribed and sold PLMs for analgesics, antibiotics, antiepileptics, multivitamins, and antitussives in the Indian pharmaceutical market. The sugar content and pH of the 15 most prescribed PLMs were assessed with ultraviolet/visible (UV/VIS) spectrophotometry and digital pH meter, respectively. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Only 1 of the 15 most sold/prescribed medicines did not contain sugar. Among the remaining PLMs, the sugar concentration ranged from 6.1% to 78.7%. The pH of the PLM ranged from 3.6 to 7.3. Sugar was present in 93.3% of the 15 analyzed PLMs and the pH was lower than the critical pH in 80% of them. Medications with high sugar content and low pH can cause caries development. Sugar-free PLMs are preferred alternatives.

Background: Utilizing a constructionist frame analysis to identify key messages, this study investigates the impact of Health Canada news releases on print media coverage during the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine. Analysis: The analysis focuses on seven frames related to the vaccination rollout: safety and efficacy, global accessibility, domestic accessibility, distribution logistics, distribution timeline, continued preventative measures, and vaccine mistrust. Conclusions and implications: The authors found missed opportunities for public health behaviour frames in Health Canada press releases, significant differences in the framing of the vaccine in press releases versus news reports, and the lack of an agenda-setting effect based on the proportion of frames carried over.

The pandemic resulted in many courses being shifted to online delivery, but some courses are designed as online courses from their conception. Courses intentionally designed for online delivery should be well-received by students, but it is not clear which aspects of courses students find particularly appealing and unappealing. We examined students’ perceptions of one such online asynchronous course in psychology in order to better understand students’ preferences in terms of specific course elements. Students were asked to identify what they particularly liked and disliked about the course in two open-ended questions. Responses were then coded to quantify the frequency of each aspect of the course. An inductive and latent approach to coding was used, with codes being used to develop themes based on the underlying meaning of the text. Overall, students identified few negative aspects about the course. They particularly enjoyed the specific psychology content, format, and structure of the course, that it related to their real lives, and the flexibility provided by the asynchronous nature. The hope is that this information can be used to improve this particular course as well as inform instructor decision-making related to the design of online asynchronous courses in general.

This research is based on an energy audit of two multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs) located in Toronto, Canada. Energy consumption (gas and electricity) data were extracted from the energy bills of the two buildings for a consecutive period of three years. The data were then normalized to account for variations in weather conditions. Conclusions were drawn from correlation analyses between kWh, cooling degree days (CDDs), and heating degree days (HDDs), which were then compared to the energy consumption benchmarks of MURBs within the GTA. An energy simulation using e-Quest v.3.64 was performed, utilizing the advantages of the e-Quest building modeling tool to create a virtual 3D model of the audited buildings. A baseline model was constructed to reflect the actual buildings and was used to simulate the outcomes and calculate the projected energy savings from window replacements with a higher energy efficiency than the existing ones. The simulation results revealed that triple low-E glazing outperformed single- and double-glass windows, achieving reductions of 38% and 34% in gas consumption, respectively. The building envelope simulations showed that enhancing insulation reduced gas consumption by 4%, while an insulation upgrade demonstrated no discernible savings. Reducing the window area by 20% (north/south sides) led to a 6% decrease in gas consumption, while a 30% reduction resulted in approximately 9% of energy savings.