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The presence of irregular flows in our circulatory system may contribute to the development of cardiovascular diseases, which represent a significant threat to human health. Nevertheless, cardiovascular flows are extremely challenging to model due to the multitude of parameters that influence them. Consequently, simplified models are employed which only consider some of their features. Thus, this thesis aims to analyze the effect of the curvature and pulsation in mildly bent pipes in a range of Reynolds numbers between $1000 \leq Re \leq 3000$. Three pipe meshes with varying curvatures have been designed using \textit{GMSH} for subsequent simulations with the \textit{Nek5000} software. In steady inlet conditions, a transient phase which progresses to a final steady state has been observed. This evidences that the curvature and the sudden increase of the Reynolds number are insufficient to trigger turbulence, even at $Re=3000$. However, at the highest $Re$ and curvature, the bent section acts as a disturbance amplifier, leading to a state more susceptible to trigger turbulence. Moreover, a different structure of the final steady state was achieved for different $Re$ values. Conversely, a pulsation of $Wo=12$ and $A=1$ was evaluated in the highest curvature setup. At $Re_{mean} = 1000$, the pulsation introduced slight fluctuations in the flow behaviour, and at $Re_{mean} = 2000$, the flow transitioned to a fully turbulent state. Hence, the presence of a pulsatile driving flow acts as a source for turbulence transition. The results of this thesis have the potential to contribute to a deeper comprehension of the fluid dynamics of turbulence transition in curved pipe flow., La presencia de flujos irregulares en nuestro sistema circulatorio pueden contribuir al desarrollo de enfermedades cardiovasculares, que representan una importante amenaza para la salud humana. Sin embargo, los flujos cardiovasculares son extremadamente difíciles de modelar debido a la multitud de parámetros que influyen en ellos. Por ello, se emplean modelos simplificados que sólo tienen en cuenta algunas de sus características. De este modo, esta tesis pretende analizar el efecto de la curvatura y la pulsación en \textit{pipes} ligeramente curvadas en un rango de número de Reynolds entre $1000 \leq Re \leq 3000$. Tres mallas de \textit{pipes} con curvaturas variables se han diseñado utilizando \textit{GMSH} para las posteriores simulaciones con el software \textit{Nek5000}. Para un flujo no pulsátil, se ha observado una fase transitoria que progresa hasta un estado estacionario final. Esto evidencia que la curvatura y el aumento abrupto del número de Reynolds son insuficientes para desencadenar turbulencia, incluso a $Re = 3000$. Sin embargo, a mayor $Re$ y curvatura, la sección curvada actúa como amplificador de perturbaciones, conduciendo a un estado más susceptible a desencadenar turbulencias. Además, para distintos valores de $Re$, la estructura del estado estacionario es diferente. Por otra parte, se evaluó una pulsación de $\mathrm{Wo} = 12$ y $A = 1$ en la configuración de mayor curvatura. Para $Re_{mean} = 1000$, la pulsación introdujo ligeras fluctuaciones en el comportamiento del flujo, y para $Re_{mean} = 2000$, el flujo pasó a un estado totalmente turbulento. Por lo tanto, la presencia de un flujo pulsátil actúa como fuente de transición a turbulencia. Los resultados de esta tesis tienen el potencial de contribuir a una comprensión más profunda de la dinámica de fluidos en la transición a turbulencia en \textit{pipes} curvas., La presència de fluxos irregulars al nostre sistema circulatori poden contribuir al desenvolupament de malalties cardiovasculars, que representen una important amenaça per a la salut humana. No obstant això, els fluxos cardiovasculars són extremadament difícils de modelar a causa de la multitud de paràmetres que hi influeixen. Per això, es fan servir models simplificats que només tenen en compte algunes de les seves característiques. D'aquesta manera, aquesta tesi pretén analitzar l'efecte de la curvatura i la pulsació en \textit{pipes} lleugerament corbades en un rang de nombre de Reynolds entre $1000 \leq Re \leq 3000$. Tres malles de \textit{pipes} amb curvatures variables s'han dissenyat utilitzant \textit{GMSH} per a les simulacions posteriors amb el programa \textit{Nek5000}. Per a un flux no pulsàtil, s'ha observat una fase transitòria que progressa fins a un estat estacionari final. Això evidencia que la curvatura i l'augment abrupte del nombre de Reynolds són insuficients per desencadenar turbulència, fins i tot a $Re = 3000$. No obstant això, pel cas de màxim $Re$ i màxima curvatura, la secció corbada actua com a amplificador de pertorbacions, conduint a un estat més susceptible a desencadenar turbulències. A més, per a diferents valors de Re, l'estructura de l'estat estacionari és diferent. D'altra banda, es va avaluar una pulsació caracteritzada per $\mathrm{Wo} = 12$ i $A = 1$ a la configuració de més curvatura. Per a $Re_{mean} = 1000$, la pulsació va introduir lleugeres fluctuacions en el comportament del flux, i per a Re_{mean} = 2000, el flux va passar a un estat totalment turbulent. Per tant, la presència d'un flux pulsatiu actua com a font de transició a turbulència. Els resultats daquesta tesi tenen el potencial de contribuir a una comprensió més profunda de la dinàmica de fluids en la transició a turbulència en pipes corbes.

Both on-the-job and off-the-job learning situations are crucial to provide high quality apprenticeship training, so that training workshops can also fulfil a crucial role in providing modern and effective training of apprentices. The shape of such training workshops needs to be revised, however, changing from the pure training of basic manual skills towards promoting the acquisition of work-process knowledge. Three case studies were carried out in large-scale companies and the results show how each has designed appropriate learning environments for their apprentices.

Transition to turbulence in pipe flow is a long standing problem in the field of turbulence research. In the route to fully turbulent pipe flow, turbulence presents itself in a wide variety of forms. In recent years, a simple empirical model that reproduces many of the complex features of this phenomenon has been proposed. However, the assumptions on which this model relies are still not fully proven. In this bachelor's thesis we aim at testing said assumptions, through direct comparison of the model with results from direct numerical simulations (DNS). We will focus on the puff regime at $Re=2050$. Through a statistical analysis of the DNS data, we will present evidence that suggests that the model's claims have a connection to the physical process. However our analysis also suggests that this connection is only dominant in two short streamwise regions of the puff, the upstream front and the refractory length, i.e. the last section of the downstream front. Motivated by these findings we look for the reasons why the model fails to explain the behaviour of puffs in other streamwise sections. In particular we report the presence of recurrent structures in the flow that render the mean profile highly non-axisymmetric. Although these structures seem to dominate the dynamics of the puff in some sections, they are not captured by the model. These findings could eventually lead to improvements of the model and a better understanding of the physics of transition in pipe flow., La transición a la turbulencia en el flujo de tuberías es un problema de larga data en el campo de la investigación de la turbulencia. En la ruta hacia el flujo de tubería completamente turbulento, la turbulencia se presenta en una amplia variedad de formas. En los últimos años se ha propuesto un modelo empírico simple que reproduce muchas de las características complejas de este fenómeno. Sin embargo, los supuestos en los que se basa este modelo aún no están completamente probados. En esta tesis de licenciatura pretendemos contrastar dichos supuestos, a través de la comparación directa del modelo con resultados de simulaciones numéricas directas (DNS). Nos centraremos en el régimen de soplo en Re=2050. A través de un análisis estadístico de los datos del DNS, presentaremos evidencia que sugiere que las afirmaciones del modelo tienen una conexión con el proceso físico. Sin embargo, nuestro análisis también sugiere que esta conexión solo es dominante en dos regiones cortas del flujo del soplo, el frente de aguas arriba y la longitud refractaria, es decir, la última sección del frente de aguas abajo. Motivados por estos hallazgos, buscamos las razones por las que el modelo no logra explicar el comportamiento del puff en otras secciones de la corriente. En particular, reportamos la presencia de estructuras recurrentes en el flujo que hacen que el perfil medio sea altamente no axisimétrico. Aunque estas estructuras parecen dominar la dinámica del puff en algunas secciones, el modelo no las captura. Estos hallazgos eventualmente podrían conducir a mejoras del modelo y una mejor comprensión de la física de la transición en el flujo de tuberías., La transició a la turbulència en el flux de canonades és un problema de llarga data en el camp de la investigació de turbulències. En el camí cap al flux de tubs totalment turbulents, la turbulència es presenta en una gran varietat de formes. En els darrers anys s'ha proposat un model empíric senzill que reprodueix moltes de les característiques complexes d'aquest fenomen. Tanmateix, els supòsits en què es basa aquest model encara no estan completament demostrats. En aquesta tesi de grau pretenem provar aquests supòsits, mitjançant la comparació directa del model amb els resultats de simulacions numèriques directes (DNS). Ens centrarem en el règim de puff a $Re=2050$. Mitjançant una anàlisi estadística de les dades del DNS, presentarem proves que suggereixen que les afirmacions del model tenen una connexió amb el procés físic. No obstant això, la nostra anàlisi també suggereix que aquesta connexió només és dominant en dues regions curtes de corrent del puff, el front aigües amunt i la longitud refractària, és a dir, l'última secció del front aigües avall. Motivats per aquestes troballes, busquem les raons per les quals el model no explica el comportament de les bufades en altres seccions de corrent. En particular, informem de la presència d'estructures recurrents en el flux que fan que el perfil mitjà sigui molt axisimètric. Tot i que aquestes estructures semblen dominar la dinàmica del puff en algunes seccions, el model no les capta. Aquestes troballes podrien conduir a millores del model i a una millor comprensió de la física de la transició en el flux de canonades.

Taiwan has benefited from her timely response to the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak, which has limited the extent of economic and social damage the virus could have inflicted. Unlike many countries, economic activities and social lives in Taiwan have remained above water; and have shown signs of rebounding in recent months. Past experiences with public health crises such as SARS have offered valuable lessons for the government to cope with similar pandemic threats. Effective countermeasures have created favourable circumstances for the government to deploy social policy as a safety net. Almost all the major responses are of a temporary nature, and a programmatic extension of the existing social security institutions (e.g., social assistance and specific in-cash benefits targeted at specific occupational or population groups). In addition, the government granted financial support to those enterprises in difficulties to disincentivize them from dismissing their employees. All these measures have largely offset the adverse consequences of the pandemic crisis. Against this backdrop, Taiwan should be amongst those countries to recover first from the pandemic shock.

The paper maps out South Korea’s key social policy responses to the Covid-19 pandemic based on an analysis of legislation and budget proposals adopted between January 2020 and September 2020. Both data sources indicate that the South Korean government clearly utilized social policy tools to mitigate the damage incurred by the pandemic. First, eight out of 32 social policy laws were explicitly designed in response to the pandemic. Second, an unprecedented four rounds of supplementary budgets were approved to protect both the economic and public health of the people. In light of the speed and the degree of political consensus vis-à-vis comparable years in the past, it is clear that South Korea's social policy response to Covid-19 was swift and bipartisan. Moreover, judging by the country’s previous experience of turning "a crisis" into "an opportunity" for welfare expansion, the current pandemic has the potential to lead to a consolidation of South Korea's welfare state.

Das vorliegende Working Paper ist im Arbeitspaket 4 "Transformation" des Verbundprojekts "Klimaresiliente Stadt-Umland Kooperation. Regionale Innovationen energetischer Biomassenutzung und Governance (KlimaInnoGovernance)" entstanden. Das Forschungsprojekt konzentriert sich auf Transformationsoptionen von Stadt-Umland-Kooperationen im Hinblick auf alternative Biomasseinnovationen. Empirisch erarbeitet werden intersektorale Entwicklungspotenziale, multiskalare Transformationsaspekte sowie Bedingungen eines transkommunalen Transfers. Betrachtet werden strukturelle, institutionelle und polit-ökonomische Rahmenbedingungen von Transformationsprozessen.

The major landmark in Eswatini’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic was the adoption of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) Regulations 2020 under Section 43 of the National Disaster Management Act, Legal Notice No 72 of 27 March 2020. Though this statutory instrument provides mainly for containment measures against the spread of the pandemic, it also established a National Disaster Management Task Force responsible for the provision of relief assistance to the poor and vulnerable. Other measures that were adopted by the government include the postponement of increases in water and electricity prices, relief assistance to workers who lose their jobs, suspension of the dismissal of employees during the pandemic and the reduction of fuel prices twice since the arrival of the pandemic. Responses to the social impacts of the pandemic have largely been as a result of government decisions and pronouncements rather than legislative processes. Moreover, relief efforts have largely been donor-driven, which brings into question issues of sustainability, which suggests the need for establishing robust social protection systems in order to promote the wellbeing of all Swazis.

This report analyses Ghana’s policy response to the Covid-19 pandemic, with particular attention to the social sector. It highlights the various policies that were adopted to help minimise the impact of the pandemic, ranging from the provision of free/subsidised water and electricity, and the distribution of food to vulnerable groups during the partial lockdown of the country. The report argues that whilst these social interventions were useful in mitigating the hardships posed by the pandemic, their overall impact was undermined by a number of factors, including the lack of a reliable database on the poor and vulnerable, ineffective targeting mechanisms, and the politicisation of the distribution of benefits.

The social policy response of the Nicaraguan government to the Covid-19 pandemic has been negligible. No significant social policy measures were adopted to alleviate the negative effects that this health crisis has on the general population. No quarantine or state of emergency was declared. The wearing of face masks in public was not made mandatory. On the contrary, the government actively promoted mass gatherings of political supporters and state employees. It even went so far as to prohibit the medical personnel of public hospitals the use of masks. This was severally criticized by the Nicaraguan opposition, media outlets and international human rights organizations. It was seen as a strategy that favored the political and economic interests of the governing party over the lives of the Nicaraguan people. To explain why this course of action was taken, this report looks at the country’s current economic and political conditions. The extremely limited response to the Covid-19 pandemic is seen as the attempt of the ruling party to reduce, as much as possible, the laming or standstill of the Nicaraguan economy, in order to avoid its negative political repercussions.

This report discusses Indonesia’s social policy response to Covid-19 as well as the public’s response to this policy response. It finds that the Indonesian social policy response to the pandemic was mainly through reallocations within the government budget to finance targeted social safety net programs covering social assistance, family support, and labor market benefits. These budget reallocations, however, have been insufficient to cover all the poor, thus the government sought financial support from the World Bank, global bonds, and local governments. The government’s social policies stimulated public responses, including both support and opposition from politicians and community members. The most salient support stemmed from the community in the form of collectively working to informally provide assistance to the poor. Community support for the poor and the participation of global agencies in welfare provision underline the limitations of state social policy during times of socio-economic adversity, particularly due to budget constraints. During the crisis, the state, which should be able to protect its citizens, was less capable of providing social protection, prompting it to seek support from both global and local welfare providers.

This report summarises and analyses Kenya’s social policy response to Covid-19. Following the global outbreak of the pandemic, Kenya’s parliament passed several economic and social laws. Tax law amendments aimed to cushion citizens and businesses from the negative effects of the disease by increasing household income for basic needs and enabling businesses to remain in operation. Other significant measures instituted were social protection interventions in the form of cash transfers and public works programmes targeted to poor and vulnerable households. Kenya’s social policy response to the pandemic followed a continuity path of minimal state provisioning. The government’s overreliance on cash transfers as the major form of social policy intervention resulted in an inadequate, exclusionary and ill-suited response.

Der vorliegende Beitrag ist ein Forschungsbericht, der zusammen mit Studierenden im Wintersemester 2020/21 entstand: Das langzeitliche Homeoffice und die Zusammenarbeit mittels digital vermittelter Kommunikation stellt ein aktuelles Veränderungsthema für Organisationen und Menschen dar. Was bedeutet langzeitliches Homeoffice in Vergleich zum Arbeiten in der Betriebsstätte? Was lässt sich aus der realen Welt in den digitalen Kontext mitnehmen, was geht dabei verloren? Was verändert sich in den Organisationen, Interaktionen und Menschen durch das pandemiebedingt langzeitliche Homeoffice? Diese Fragen betreffen Studierende und Lehrende gleichermaßen, Früchte dieses geteilten Interesses finden sich in diesem Bericht.

In 2016, after 25 years of international isolation, Uzbekistan started to open up and modernize its economy. In this phase, the Covid-19 pandemic hit the economy and society hard. The government reacted with a harsh lockdown. As an immediate crisis response, it allocated funds from international donors and the national budget to protect the economy and vulnerable groups. Due to a lack of data and public and scientific discourses, it is difficult to assess the effectiveness of these measures. As in other countries, the pandemic revealed well-known structural and institutional problems, such as inequality, poverty and the informal labor sector as well as the vulnerability of labor migrants. The budget for the healthcare system was increased significantly in 2020 and again in 2021. It is not yet possible to predict whether the pandemic will lead to policy changes in the long term. In addition to restrictions on personal liberty in the wake of the lockdown and curfew, the government also enacted a law that criminalizes the dissemination of false information, which has been criticized by human rights experts. It is safe to say that the reforms and opening up of the country since 2016 have significantly improved the government's crisis response capabilities. However, problems with the continuation of top-down decision-making also became apparent.

Zimbabwe’s social policy response to Covid-19 unfolded in a context of enduring socioeconomic and political crises. Its main instruments were temporary food relief and cash transfers, though it also included healthcare measures, an economic stimulus package, pension benefits, and “cushioning allowances”. The expansion of food relief and cash transfers was based on existing social protection programmes, and beneficiaries were, at least in theory determined through means-testing and targeting. Local and international civil society organisations supported the government’s response. While the breadth and timing of Zimbabwe’s social policy response are noteworthy, it remained largely inadequate and temporary.

Bolivia during 2020 was the victim of simultaneous political, economic, and public health crises. The three crises interacted with one another in ways that made each individual crisis more severe. The country’s social policy response to the Covid-19 pandemic was uneven. Emergency cash transfers, a legacy of the left-wing Movement toward Socialism’s (MAS) nearly 14 years in power, performed well. Although the amounts transferred were quite modest, they did reach the vast majority of Bolivians. On education, however, the government failed utterly, ultimately abandoning its constitutional obligation to provide free and universal schooling to all children. Online education never got off the ground and the school year was prematurely cancelled. The Bolivian state’s chronic weakness was on display in its healthcare policy response. Not only did the government inherit inadequate infrastructure, but a combination of administrative incompetence and corruption marred the procurement of much-needed ventilators and other medical equipment. The result was one of the world’s highest Covid-19 mortality rates.

This report reviews Ukraine’s social policy response to the Covid-19 pandemic between March and September 2020. In mid-March the government decided on a lockdown, which lasted until the end of May. Simultaneously, the government and parliament approved mitigating measures to support vulnerable groups, which were expected to suffer due to the resulting economic downturn. The decisions were largely fragmented and primarily directed to supporting business and the labour market. Education institutions went into a remote working regime in mid-March, which resulted in inequality of access to education due to the digital divide. Health personnel received top-ups to their wages, but only if they have been working in the secondary level of the healthcare system. Most mitigation measures were financed from the budgetary Fund for Combatting Covid-19, which was actually largely directed towards financing road construction. In summer, the quarantine measures were loosened, and adaptive quarantine was introduced. The supporting measures mostly evaporated as the government faced budget constraints and the economy was recovering more quickly than initially expected.

This report discusses South Africa’s initial social policy response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It provides a timeline of the early stages of the pandemic and of the government’s legislative interventions. South Africa’s social policy response was premised on the country’s post-apartheid development agenda, which is significantly informed by the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP). In response to the pandemic, South Africa’s government rolled out a social relief and economic support package worth approximately 10% of GDP. This package funded, for instance, a special Covid-19 “Social Relief of Distress Grant” for all those individuals who were unemployed and did not receive any other form of social assistance. South Africa could roll out such a massive social relief and economic support package because the necessary institutional infrastructure was already in place. The report concludes with some reflections on the broader social implications of the pandemic.

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Chinese government has utilized and pragmatically adjusted existing welfare institutions to ensure social and economic stability. This report describes the Chinese social policy responses in 2020 to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus crisis and focuses on specific countermeasures, such as cash benefits and benefits-in-kind for vulnerable people in the fields of health, social assistance, unemployment, and elderly care. Moreover, social insurance contributions for enterprises were reduced and deferred to help revive the economy. As shown in this report, many countermeasures were of a temporary nature, and can be defined as adaptations of the existing basic social security net, supplemented by administrative innovations such as the digitalization of means testing, for instance.

This report reviews Kazakhstan’s initial social policy response to the Covid-19 pandemic, highlighting three points. First, there was obvious continuity from the pre-pandemic days in the government’s policy response as it tried to guide the country through the pandemic and prepare the economy for a quick recovery in a post-pandemic world. In particular, the government firmly adhered to the principles of developmentalism, pursuing an active role in the economy, supporting the domestic private sector, promoting employment and using available resources for large infrastructure projects. Second, even during a pandemic, the Kazakhstani government remained fully committed to the idea of productive welfare, offering workers and families affected by the crisis only short-term relief measures and encouraging the poor to be entrepreneurial and not depend on government aid. Third, reminiscent of its earlier strategy to launch important reforms in times of crisis, the Kazakhstani government used the momentum to announce the onset of another cycle of economic, social and education reforms. It remains to be seen whether the announced reforms will help diversify the economy, promote sustainable economic growth and strengthen the country’s education and welfare systems.

The new coronavirus has turned out to be an unprecedented and unexpected crisis which has led to rethinking healthcare, public safety and socio-economic policies. Severe problems have manifested themselves in these areas in Georgia, a developing country with below average income levels and high poverty rates. Although the principle of the welfare state has been constitutionalized in the recent past and this has been followed by some socio-economic steps, Georgia is still far from achieving its goals. The pandemic and related legislative constraints have caused a deep recession, which has resulted in reduced incomes and lost jobs. In the initial stages of the pandemic, the population was left without assistance and subsequently faced an economic downturn. At the same time, the government decided to take stringent socio-economic measures due to the uncertainty about the potential dangers of the new virus and the vulnerability of the Georgian healthcare system. The government’s efforts to provide social assistance for the population were delayed and faltered in terms of efficiency, but overall, more or less complex schemes of assistance were elaborated. Part of the population was provided with basic social assistance, while the government failed to offer aid to some of its most needy citizens. With the virus spiraling out of control, lockdown is no longer an option and the vision of the government concerning socio-economic developments is still vague.

Uruguay’s social policy response to Covid-19 built on a strong social protection system and a favorable social situation that existed before the pandemic arrived. The country’s favorable position in the region enabled the government to gradually reformulate key existing social policies to cover a broad proportion of the population. The newly installed government’s response occurred within the country’s structurally divided social protection architecture, which covers both formal workers and families not covered by the social security system. However, efforts in the two parts of the system have not been equally effective and there remains a portion of the population not covered by any of these social protection policies.

This report examines Ecuador's social policy response to mitigate the Covid-19 pandemic's effects and protect vulnerable populations. It chronologically traces containment, closure policies, social policies and programmes put in place following the announcement of Covid-19 as a global pandemic. A combination of external constraints and domestic structures, i.e. informality and weak coordination, led to truncated efforts in the healthcare response, while persistent inequalities in access to technology and high levels of informality led to fragmented education, labour policies and social protection responses. The report zooms into the Family Protection Grant (Bono de Protección Familiar or BPF), a new social protection programme that covers informal workers, which captures the difficulties in reaching unregistered populations amid lockdown and containment measures.

The Covid-19 containment measures taken in Uganda have been amongst the most radical in Africa: closure of the borders, a ban on public and private transport, closure of non-essential shops, and a ban on political, religious and cultural meetings. Even before the identification of the first case of Covid-19, the Ugandan government had taken measures to prevent the dissemination of the disease, helped by a solid experience in managing pandemics. Nonetheless, and despite the strong reactivity of the Ugandan government to take firm sanitary measures to fight the disease, the response to the socio-economic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic was extremely limited and mainly directed toward the formal private sector. Informal urban workers, despite being the most affected by the crisis, were only targeted by rudimentary relief measures that could be described as humanitarian “band-aids”. Indeed, social protection is still a very young preoccupation of the Ugandan government, but this has to be analyzed within the broader context of the presidential election that took place in January 2021. The incumbent government used the containment measures to muzzle the opposition on the one hand, and to monopolize actions and discourses on the disease on the other.

This essay summarises the broad contours and key characteristics of the Indian government’s social policy response to the global Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing nationwide lockdown. The principal strategy of the Indian government was to implement a large and at times bewildering array of temporary relief measures by ordinances after adjournment of the Indian parliament in March 2020. Not a single new piece of legislation was implemented in direct response to the Covid-19 crisis, although recent federal labour law reforms are likely to shape the Indian social and economic recovery. Collectively, the Indian government’s relief measures have not been able to adequately alleviate the Covid-19-related social pressures and risks. While there is still a dearth of adequate statistical data to assess how well the relief measures were implemented, the initial picture suggests that the Indian government’s response to the global Covid-19 pandemic prioritised economic and fiscal measures, relied on the existing inadequate safety net, and was not timely enough to support millions of inter-state migrants. The public health crisis and ensuing nationwide lockdown have not resulted in a path-breaking trajectory away from the entrenched Indian welfare paradigm.

Peru has one of the highest number of deaths proportional to its population and a severely hit economy, even though it was one of the first countries to implement strict social distancing measures and an ambitious plan for fiscal stimulus and economic relief for households. The response of the state was mostly based on (i) various cash transfers for the most vulnerable; (ii) policies to activate the economy such as a program to guarantee loans to firms; and (iii) allowing withdrawals from individual pension pots. Unfortunately, a combination of low financial inclusion, deficiencies in registers and structural limitations compromised the effectiveness of the social transfers, reaching recipients late or never. Furthermore, depleting pension funds may ease liquidity concerns in the short run, but the negative consequences on securing a pension for the future are immense. Worse, individuals who are not experiencing hardship can also make these withdrawals. Other countries, like Chile, have followed, paving the way for a dangerous trend that can jeopardize old-age security.

Turkey's social policy response to the Covid-19 pandemic combined various conventional and unconventional social policy tools. In a context of already persistently high unemployment rates, the government put an emphasis on labor market reforms to protect employment, with a short-time work scheme playing an important role. For those left unprotected by protective labor market policies, the government provided relatively meagre one-off social assistance payments that reached large parts of the poor. While these policies cushioned the social impact of the pandemic to some degree, they also amplified already existing inequalities: Labor market insiders (regular employees) were far more effectively protected than labor market outsiders (self-employed, people in informal employment). In addition to these social policy instruments the government also implemented 'social policy by other means', which included boosting consumer credit. With regards to future prospects, it remains unclear whether the social policy response that was devised as a temporary intervention will be unwound or result in more permanent changes to the country's welfare regime.

As a major hub for global trade and travel, Singapore was badly affected by the Covid-19 global pandemic. However, the city-state has since managed to curb local transmission of the coronavirus and return employment levels to pre-pandemic levels. These positive outcomes are a result of Singapore’s social policy response to Covid-19. In this report, I highlight the range of labour market interventions that were implemented to maintain employment and blunt the economic impacts of the pandemic. These include a Jobs Support Scheme that subsidised a significant portion of the resident wage bill for firms and employers, a Self-Employed Income Relief Scheme to support self-employed persons, and a Covid-19 Support Grant to help those who were laid off from their jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic. A range of cash pay-outs and subsidies were also provided to households and citizens while subsidies and grants were introduced to support retraining and education in the Singaporean workforce. In sum, Singapore’s social policy response to Covid-19 has focused on maintaining employment and self-sufficiency among its resident population, with financial support provided to the poor and unemployed.

Argentina's initial social policy response to Covid-19 focused on protecting employment, wages and basic living conditions. Key policies included cash transfers and food programs for vulnerable families, wage subsidies for private sector workers and subsidized loans for firms and self-employed workers. The government also dictated a set of new regulations on employment, prices and housing, among others, to reduce the social costs of the pandemic. This paper offers an overview of Argentine social policy response measures taken up until September 2020. It focuses on the social policy instruments specifically oriented to the most vulnerable workers and families, including a new cash transfer program for adults with no regular income (Emergency Family Income or IFE), reaching about 8.6 million people in the first round. Overall, Argentina's social policy response involved multiple instruments aimed to operate on several fronts; however, the social and economic costs remain very high and are still unfolding.

Solomon Islands was caught off guard when Covid-19 was declared a global pandemic. Most of its initial efforts were to ensure that the deadly virus did not venture beyond its borders into the community. As a result, it has only recorded 18 border cases to date (8 February 2021). In Solomon Islands, the negative impact of the Covid-19 pandemic was mitigated by two main sources: the community and the state. People's survival and livelihood were primarily supported by a set of relational networks made possible by customary land tenure and social capital at the local level, known as the wantok system. In addition, a plan called the Economic Stimulus Package was at the core of the government’s formal social policy response.

Azerbaijan’s social assistance and income support schemes adopted during the Covid-19 pandemic need to be seen within the context of the country’s existing social protection system and safety nets. While the existing system is operational and has the technical capacity to respond and deliver social policies, it has had two key shortcomings: (1) low benefit rates and (2) issues in coverage, notably the exclusion of informal employees and migrant workers. Left unaddressed ex ante, they caught the system off-guard ex post when the coronavirus pandemic broke out. As a result, although Covid-related social assistance measures (especially cash transfers) were implemented without delay and provided some immediate relief for vulnerable and affected social groups, they fell short of covering sizable sections of the population, namely informal workers and Azerbaijanis working in Russia. It is also doubtful that such assistance can improve future wellbeing of vulnerable groups, whose living standards are likely to worsen during and after the economic fallout from the pandemic.

Zambia's social policy response to the Covid-19 pandemic is unfolding against a background of severe financial challenges, a squeezed social sector and limited state capacity. There are also concerns about the upcoming general election in August 2021, which is already beginning to shape policy and spending decisions. Much of Zambia’s social policy response has focused on the formal sector, despite the country’s large informal sector, high unemployment rate and food insecurity across urban and rural areas. A Covid-19 emergency cash transfer (ECT) has been the most significant social policy intervention to help the poorest households to cope with the effects of the pandemic. However, this programme has been largely driven and funded by international donors, while the government has increased payments to agricultural subsidies and empowerment funds. Claims that the ruling party is using the ECT for election rigging suggests that there is some political interest in this scheme, but other more powerful constituencies - particularly farmers and young people - continue to be prioritised. This reflects the political dynamics of Zambia's social protection response more broadly, with domestic incentives shaping the level of government support and funding directed at various programmes.

This report examines the social policy response of the Government of Armenia to the Covid-19 crisis. Official data on the implemented programs suggest that since March 2020, around USD 55 million has been transferred to individuals and households as wage support, unemployment and family benefits, utility payment subsidies and tuition fee support. Survey data suggest that despite being early and extensive, government assistance has not been effective in relieving the financial stress and anxiety caused by the pandemic, while public expectations about the future remain pessimistic. As individuals most and least in need have benefited equally from the implemented programs, government assistance has also not been well-targeted.

This report analyzes the political context of the spread of Covid-19 in Russia, identifies major social support programs and evaluates their impact on mitigating possible undesired consequences for the population. Based on an analysis of state support programs and their impact, the report draws several conclusions. First, Russia's political regime and political dynamics account for (1) the prioritization of adopting amendments to the Constitution over public health measures to contain the pandemic, (2) the leading role of presidential decrees in Russia’s social policy response, and (3) the limited managerial capacities and financial resources of regional authorities to contain the pandemic’s consequences. Second, the particularity of Russia's social policy response, including its focus on families with children and the categorization of beneficiaries, mirrors pre-existing principles and priorities of welfare provision. Third, the overall scope of Russia's social policy response is inadequate. The focus on temporary measures and the absence of additional measures during the recent autumn rise of Covid-19 cases show the government's underestimation of the long-term social consequences of the pandemic.

During the pandemic, Brazil has provided its citizens with support in the areas of long-term care and disability, the labor market, social assistance, education, and pensions. This report focuses on two social policy areas, healthcare and family benefits (including labor policies), as these were the most crucial social policies implemented in Brazil during the Covid-19 pandemic in terms of the resources allocated and the magnitude of social impact. Brazil’s relatively generous social policies were uncoordinated with public health interventions, which contributed to poor compliance with these public health interventions. This suggests that social policy initiatives alone are insufficient in mitigating the social consequences of the pandemic. They need to be accompanied by and coordinated with public health measures, including regulations on testing, social distancing and mask wearing.

This report offers an analysis of the Mexican federal government’s social policy response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The report provides an overview of developments in six policy areas where change associated with the pandemic can be observed: healthcare, pensions, family benefits, education, the labour market and housing. This analysis across policy areas shows that the Mexican government’s response does not correspond to the dimensions of the crisis. Apart from healthcare, few new specific measures have been introduced. The government has largely decided to respond to the pandemic with the group of new programmes created during 2019, as a result of an overhaul of the country’s social policy. However, the potential of those programmes to deal with the pandemic’s effects could well be limited, since it is not even clear yet if they represent cases of welfare expansion or retrenchment compared to previous programmes. At the same time, proposals from civil society and opposition parties to introduce comprehensive basic income schemes have been ignored. If the path of minimal action is not rectified, grim social, economic and political consequences await Mexican society in the foreseeable future.

With its strong public healthcare system and social security regime, Costa Rica was better prepared to face the Covid-19 pandemic than most countries in the Global South. However, the pandemic hit at a time when its social policy regime had already been weakened by three decades of neoliberal inspired policies. Since the first Covid-19 case was identified in March 2020, the country implemented a series of legislative and institutional measures in different social policy areas that sought to build on the country’s institutional heritage to provide social protection to its population. In this report, we analyze whether these measures represented more focalized temporary "band-aid" measures or were inspired by the historic commitment to universal social policy. For this, we first describe the social policy measures taken during the Covid-19 crisis. Then we focus on three key policy areas – health, pensions, social assistance, to analyze whether these measures positively or negatively affect universalism in Costa Rica, understood as a multidimensional concept. We find that Costa Rica's initial quick, and later unsure measures took two paths: A first set of measures in explicit response to Covid-19, and a second set was aimed at guaranteeing the continuity of the country’s universal social security system.

Marine coastal governance encompasses the formal and informal processes of interaction and decision-making of actors involved in any issue of public interest regarding the marine and coastal environment. This report focuses primarily on summarizing and describing the main state-driven processes related to the governance of the coastal fisheries and (marine) aquaculture sectors (i.e. mariculture) in Peru. However, we also explain the predominant tensions between resource-based development regulations and key user groups. These tensions include strategies of contestation and adaptation of users which can involve or relate to informal and illegal processes in marine and coastal resource management. In a short introduction we will first provide context to the described processes by framing them with broader debates about the ways in which resource-based development is organized in Peru, namely privately owned and centralized, and discursively naturalized through narratives that prioritize economic growth over sustainability. The following second section provides the broader institutional background of fisheries and aquaculture governance by sketching the cornerstones of the Peruvian legal and political systems. The third section of the report is dedicated to the governance of fisheries, especially artisanal and small-scale fisheries, paying special attention to the mech-anisms of different fishing access regimes. Peruvian artisanal and small-scale fishing is one of the most relevant economic activities of the Humboldt Current Upwelling System (HCUS) as it provides the majority of fish for domestic human consumption, targeting more than 300 species, and employing four times more people than the industrial fisheries. The fourth and last section then focuses on the governance of mariculture following the same structure as the previous one. In this section, the information presented is being related to the specific case of the Peruvian bay scallop [Argopecten purpuratus]. T

Die Energiewende weg von einem auf fossilen Brennstoffen basierenden und hin zu einem erneuerbaren, sektorgekoppelten Energiesystem bringt erhebliche strukturelle Anpassungen und Unsicherheiten mit sich. Resilienz, als Leitkonzept für entsprechende Transformationsprozesse, eröffnet Möglichkeiten der Vorbereitung auf unbekannte Stressoren und nichtlineares Verhalten komplexer Systeme. Folglich ist eine vergleichende Bewertung der Resilienz für die Ausgestaltung und Umsetzung resilienter Energiesysteme von zentraler Bedeutung. Zu diesem Zweck wurden ausgewählte resilienzsteigernde Strukturen und Funktionalitäten (Diversität, Redundanz, lose Kopplungen), die einen Vergleich des Resilienzgrades verschiedener Wärmeversorgungsszenarien ermöglichen, anhand von Bewertungsindikatoren erfasst und gegenübergestellt. Die Analyse der Wärmeversorgungsszenarien zeigt auf lokaler Ebene eine deutlicheingeschränkte Verfügbarkeit erneuerbarer Wärmequellen in Stadtbezirken. Daraus ist abzuleiten, dass zukünftig ein bedeutender Anteil des Wärmebedarfs durch eine strombasierte Versorgung aus überregional erzeugtem regenerativem Strom gedeckt werden muss. Die ausgeführte Bewertung zeigt, dass die Werte für die Indikatoren Diversität sowie lose Kopplung von Fernwärmesystemen durch Anstrengungen zur Defossilisierung abnehmen. Im Gegensatz dazu nimmt die Redundanz entsprechender Systeme zu, da eine höhere installierte Leistung erwartet wird, die auf eine Vielzahl kleiner dezentraler Einheiten verteilt ist.

Power systems are undergoing a profound transformation towards cyber-physical systems. Disruptive changes due to energy system transition and the complexity of the interconnected systems expose the power system to new, unknown and unpredictable risks. To identify the critical points, a vulnerability assessment was conducted, involving experts from power as well as information and communication technologies (ICT) sectors. Weaknesses were identified e.g.,the lack of policy enforcement worsened by the unreadiness of involved actors. The complex dynamics of ICT makes it infeasible to keep a complete inventory of potential stressors to define appropriate preparation and prevention mechanisms. Therefore, we suggest applying a resilience management approach to increase the resilience of the system. It aims at a better ride through failures rather than building higher walls. We conclude that building resilience in cyber-physical power systems is feasible and helps in preparing for the unexpected.

The systems formed by two immiscible liquids such as emulsions are of great interest in industrial processes, the emulsion formation process occurs depending on the phenomenon of the breakup of the drops of one of the fluids within the other, and the properties depend on how this phenomenon happens. The breakup of drops in turbulent flows is investigated to determine which mechanisms are those that interact in the breakup and what is the effect of the viscosity of the drop on the dynamics of the break. For this study we used the data generated in the simulations of the work "Energetics of drop deformation with application to turbulence", to make an analysis of the average behavior of the velocity gradients, comparing one hundred simulations with different initial conditions, to identify the mechanisms as mentioned previously. In a first analysis we show the importance of the distance with respect to the interface of the drop in terms of the influence that the dynamics of the surface has on the rest of the flow. The main analysis of the work uses tensor invariants to observe how the mechanisms that regulate the dynamics of the breakup interact and change with viscosity., Los sistemas formados por dos líquidos immiscibles como son las emulsiones son de gran interés en proceso industriales, el proceso de formación de la emulsión ocurre dependiendo de como ocurre el fenómeno de la rotura de gotas de un liquido dentro del otro, y las propiedades de la emulsion dependen también de la manera en la que ocurre este fenómeno. La rotura de gotas en flujos turbulentos se investiga en este estudio para determinar qué mecanismos son los que interactúan en la rotura y cuál es el efecto de la viscosidad de la gota en la dinámica de la rotura. Para realizar este estudio se utilizan los datos generados de las simulaciones del trabajo "Energetics of drop deformation with application to turbulence? de mi supervisor, para hacer un análisis del comportamiento promedio de los gradientes de velocidad, comparando cien simulaciones con diferentes condiciones iniciales, para poder identificar los mecanismos mencionados anteriormente. En un primer análisis mostramos la importancia que tiene la distancia respecto la interfaz de la gota para observar la influencia que la dinámica de la gota tiene en el resto del fluido. El análisis principal del trabajo utiliza invariantes tensoriales para observar cómo los mecanismos que regulan la dinámica de la rotura interactúan y cambian según la viscosidad de la gota., Els sistemes formats per dos líquids immiscibles com són les emulsions són de gran interès en processos industrials, el procés de formació de l'emulsió ocorre depenent de com ocorre el fenomen del trencament de les gotes d'un dels líquids dins de l'altre, i les propietats de l'emulsió depenen també de la manera en la qual ocorre aquest fenomen. El trencament de gotes en fluxos turbulents s'investiga en Aquest treball per a determinar quins mecanismes són els que interactuen en el trencament i quin és l'efecte de la viscositat de la gota en la dinàmica del trencament. Per a realitzar aquest estudi s'utilitzen les dades generades de les simulacions del treball "Energetics of drop deformation with application to turbulence" del meu supervisor, per fer un anàlisi del comportament promig dels gradients de velocitat, comparant cent simulacions amb condicions inicials diferents, per poder identificar els mecanismes mencionats prèviament. En un primer anàlisi mostrem la importància de la distància respecte a la interfase de la gota per observar la influència de la dinàmica de la superfície de la gota sobre la resta del flux del fluid. L'anàlisi principal del treball utilitza invariants de tensors per observar com els mecanismes que regulen la dinàmica del trencament interactuen i canvien segons la viscositat de la gota.

In the last years the major cause of death worldwide has turned out to be because of cardiovascular diseases; for instance, owing to the presence of blood turbulence in our vessels. The problem has already been addressed from simplified points of view that ignore many blood characteristics; consequently, one of the main goals of this project is to take into account the blood shear-thinning effects in an infinite cylindrical pipe and study turbulence transition in such scenario. With this aim, the first thing to do is a non-Newtonian viscosity models research in order to find the best one to model blood behaviour. After this, an exhaustive base flow study is carried out, for steady and unsteady scenarios, so that finally the Transient Growth Analysis (TGA) provides us with the most dangerous perturbation that could trigger turbulence transition more easily in our veins., Durante los últimos años se ha detectado que la mayor causa de mortalidad en todo el mundo se debe a enfermedades cardiovasculares; por ejemplo, debido a la presencia de turbulencia en nuestras venas. El problema ya se ha encarado desde puntos de vista simplificados que ignoran muchas de las características de la sangre; consecuentemente, uno de los principales objetivos de este proyecto es tener en cuenta los efectos "shear-thinning" de la sangre en una tubería cilíndrica e infinita para estudiar la transición a turbulencia. Con este objetivo, lo primero que hay que hacer es búsqueda de modelos que describan la viscosidad de fluidos no-Newtonianos a fin de encontrar el que mejor funciona para modelar el comportamiento de la sangre. Seguidamente, se lleva a cabo un estudio exhaustivo del flujo básico, para los casos estable e inestable; finalmente el Transient Growth Analysis (TGA) nos proporciona cuál es la perturbación más peligrosa que puede desencadenar transición a turbulencia más fácilmente en nuestras venas., Durant els últims anys s'ha detectat que la major causa de mortalitat a tot el món és degut a malalties cardiovasculars; per exemple, degut a la presència de turbulència a les nostres venes. El problema ja s’ha encarat des de punts de vista simplificats que ignoren moltes de les característiques de la sang; conseqüentment, un dels principals objectius d’aquest projecte és tenir en compte els efectes ‘shear-thinning’ de la sang en una canonada cilíndrica i infinita per tal d’estudiar la transició a turbulència. Amb aquest objectiu, el primer que s’ha de fer és recerca de models que descriguin la viscositat de fluids no-Newtonians per tal de trobar el que millor funciona per modelar el comportament de la sang. Seguidament, es duu a terme un estudi exhaustiu del flux bàsic, pels casos estable i inestable, tal que finalment el Transient Growth Analysis (TGA) ens proporciona quina és la pertorbació més perillosa que pot desencadenar transició a turbulència més fàcilment a les nostres venes.