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The Challenge of Global Migration - Human Rights, Security and Refugees
No full textNoThis is a comprehensive study that examines the sources of refugee flows, in particular as they relate to political persecution, trafficking, human slavery and human rights challenges in relation to gender and sexual identity. Liberal democratic states have been contending with significant refugee inflows. The migration of large populations to Europe and North America is driven by various factors, including regional conflicts, the impacts of global warming, political opposition to autocratic regimes and societal pressures. The purpose of this study is to understand the nature of human rights challenges, to cut through false perceptions and myths in relation to the sources of migration and refugee flows, and to provide a deeper understanding for academics and practitioners in relation to the support for refugees and victims of human slavery
Gender, culture and stakeholder management strategies in Africa
No full textYesThe chapter reviews existing literature to provide insights into the impact of gender and culture on women entrepreneurs in sub-Saharan Africa. It discusses how gender and culture influence business growth, resilience, and stakeholder management. The chapter further establishes that business growth in women-led entrepreneurial ventures is relative and may not be measured by conventional outcomes. We also found that educated women in Africa, with adequate social capital, are taking up entrepreneurship. But the socio-cultural and economic context within which they operate continues to challenge their enterprises. This review recommends further empirical studies on women’s entrepreneurship and the role of ‘charismatism’ as a religious affiliation. It also recommends studies into how societal stereotypes and expectations have evolved and how this enables or impedes women entrepreneurs
Exploring the impact of cognitive dysfunction during recurrent depression in a sample of mid-to-older age British South Asians: A qualitative study
No full textYesIntroduction: Depression is a major public health issue, increasing the risk of comorbidities. Some people with depression experience cognitive dysfunction, which can persist even after symptomatic recovery. British South Asians are at greater risk of developing depression and are less likely to seek treatment. It is important to understand their experience of subjective cognitive dysfunction in depression and how best to support them.
Aims: This study explored subjective experience of cognitive dysfunction during recurrent depression, in a sample of 12 British South Asians aged between 45 and 60 years.
Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews to explore cognitive dysfunction during recurrent depression. We analysed the data using thematic analysis.
Results: Difficulties in attention and concentration resulted in lower quality of social relationships, including not feeling present and social isolation. Learning new information was difficult, thus impacting productivity. Participants found it difficult to engage in enjoyable activities that promoted brain health. The emotional, physical and spiritual impact negatively impacted on quality of life.
Discussion
Cognitive strategies used in therapies could improve brain health and functional recovery in people living with depression.
Implications
Mental health nurses play a pivotal role in providing culturally appropriate information and strategies for managing cognitive dysfunction in recurrent depression.National Institute for Health Care Research, Yorkshire and Humber Applied Research Collaborations NIHR200166. This research is also supported by funding provided by the University of Bradford through the Research, Innovation and Engagement Account
Hepatitis B virus infection on Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands: a seroprevalence, knowledge and attitudes study
Get PDFYesA study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection among children and their mothers on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands two decades after routine vaccination was introduced in the 1990s. Mothers’ knowledge and attitudes towards HBV disease and vaccination were also assessed.
Methods: Results of a national seroprevalence survey conducted in 2016–2017 and antenatal records were used to determine the prevalence of HBV seropositivity in children aged 6–8 years and their biological mothers. The associations between demographic, social and vaccination-related factors and seropositivity were explored using Fisher’s exact tests.
Results: HBV seroprevalence was 0.3% in children and 6.8% in their mothers (during pregnancy). Coverage of timely HBV vaccination was 90.3% for the birth dose and was significantly associated with factors related to place of residence (P < 0.001), place of birth (P < 0.001) and number of antenatal visits (P < 0.001). Maternal attitudes towards infant vaccination and antenatal screening were largely positive (95.8% and 96.7%, respectively) despite low vaccination rates (20.9%) among mothers. Knowledge levels were low for disease complications, treatment and transmission.
Discussion: Prevalence of HBV in children and mothers residing on Kwajalein Atoll in 2016–2017 was lower than the national average for the Marshall Islands. Timely birth dose administration appears to have been effective in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HBV in this setting and should be promoted in remote settings where antiviral therapy is not available. Provision of out-of-cold-chain HBV vaccines should be considered to improve access in remote settings
In situ monitoring of competitive coformer exchange reaction by 1H MAS Solid-state NMR
No full textYesIn a competitive coformer exchange reaction, a recent topic of interest in pharmaceutical research, the coformer in a pharmaceutical cocrystal is exchanged with another coformer which is expected to form a cocrystal that is more stable. There will be a competition between coformers to form the most stable product through formation of hydrogen bonds. Thus, to monitor each and every step of such reactions, employing a very sensitive technique is crucial. 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a very powerful technique that is very sensitive to the hydrogen bond interactions. In this study, an in situ monitoring of a coformer exchange reaction is carried out by 1H magic angle spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR (SSNMR) at a spinning frequency of 60 KHz. The changes in caffeine maleic acid cocrystals on addition of glutaric acid, and caffeine glutaric cocrystal on addition of maleic acid were monitored. In all the reactions, it has been observed that caffeine glutaric acid Form I is formed. When glutaric acid was added to 2:1 caffeine maleic acid, the formation of metastable 1:1 caffeine glutaric acid Form I was observed, at the start of the experiment, indicating that the centrifugal pressure is enough for the formation. The difference in the end product of the reactions with similar reaction pathway of 1:1 and 2:1 reactant stoichiometry indicate that a complete replacement of maleic acid has only occurred only in the 1:1 stoichiometry of the reactants. The polymorphic transition of caffeine glutaric acid Form II to Form I at higher temperature was crucial reason which triggers the exchange of glutaric acid with maleic acid in the reaction of caffeine glutaric acid and maleic acid. Based on these results, new reaction pathways in competitive coformer exchange reactions could be distinguished, and the remarkable role of stoichiometry, polymorphism, temperature and centrifugal pressure could be established.C.H. acknowledges Department of Science and Technology, India (DST), for the grant of Inspire Fellowship. T.G.A. acknowledges Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India (CSIR) for research grants under the 12th 5 year plan project (Grant No. CSC0405)
Revolutionizing infrastructure: The evolving landscape of electricity-based multifunctional concrete from concept to practice
No full textYesTraditional concrete, primarily employed for structural purposes, ensures the safety and reliability of infrastructure due to its excellent mechanical and durability properties. However, with the increasing scale of infrastructure, coupling of multifactorial and harsh service environment, expanding usage spaces, escalating demands for construction-environment harmony, and ever-rising human habitat standards, traditional concrete proves inadequate in meeting the sustainable requirements during construction and service phases, thus prompting its development towards multifunctionality. Electricity, the invisible force that propels modern civilization, has given rise to the emergence of electricity-based multifunctional concrete when combined with tangible concrete that carries human civilization. Through the structure-function integration and function-intelligence integration, this innovative composite material demonstrates excellent intrinsic properties as a structural material, including mechanical performances and durability, and superior electrical properties, such as conductivity, inductance, capacitance, impedance, thermoelectricity, piezoelectricity, among others. It, therefore, holds significant promise across various engineering applications, such as structural health monitoring, traffic detection, energy conversion/storage, de-icing and snow melting, building heating, electromagnetic protection, cathodic protection, grounding, and electrostatic protection. The ongoing research on electricity-based multifunctional concrete establishes a fundamental material framework for the transformation of infrastructure, offering a method to enhance safety, durability, functionality, and resilience of infrastructure. This review summarizes the relevant research progress on electricity-based multifunctional concrete, focusing on its design, composition, underlying principles, properties, and applications in infrastructures. Current technical challenges and future perspectives toward applying electricity-based multifunctional concrete in infrastructures are also discussed.National Science Foundation of China (51978127, 52178188, and 51908103), the Provincial-Municipal Joint Fund (Youth Fund) of Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation (2023A1515110437), and the Major Science and Technology Research Project of the China Building Materials Federation (2023JBGS10-02).The full-text of this article will be released for public view at the end of the publisher embargo on 17 Nov 2025
Self-healing properties of mortar with crystalline admixture: experimental investigation and parameter optimization
No full textYesThe inclusion of crystalline admixture (CA) is a highly effective method for enhancing the self-repairing capabilities of mortar. This study examined the complexing abilities of different complexing agents under varying temperatures, pH levels, and ion species in order to select effective complexing agents for diverse environments, as complexing agents play a crucial role in CAs. After determining the type of complexing agent, an orthogonal array design was used to optimize the components of CA, and the strengthening mechanism of CA for mortar was discussed through microstructure analysis. The results showed that the complexation behavior of triethanolamine (TEA) and glycine performed better than sodium citrate (SC) for different pH, temperatures, and ion species. Meanwhile, TEA and glycine showed complementarity at different stages, so TEA and glycine were used as complexing agents in this study. Based on the orthogonal experiment, the optimal contents of Na2SiO3, Na2CO3, TEA, glycine, Ca(COOH)2, and nano-SiO2 in CA were determined to be 1.0%, 1.0%, 0.04%, 1.0%, 0.5%, and 1.0%, respectively. Under the synergistic effect of TEA and glycine, the hydration of aluminate and ferrialuminate was accelerated, and the hydration degree of cement paste was increased. At 28 d, the contents of CaCO3, C-S-H gel, and ettringite of cement paste with CA were higher than these of plain paste, but its Ca(OH)2 content was lower. Although the Ca(OH)2 content in the cement paste with CA was lower, the Ca(OH)2 crystal structure filled in the pores was larger. Therefore, the mortar mixed with CA exhibited higher compressive strength, water impermeability, and self-healing ability
Utilization of Recycled Brick Powder as Supplementary Cementitious Materials - A Comprehensive Review
Get PDFYesOver the past two decades, extensive research has been conducted to explore alternative supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) in order to address the environmental concerns associated with the cement industry. Bricks, which are frequently preferred in the construction sector, generate a lot of waste during the production and demolition of existing buildings, requiring environmentally sustainable recycling practices. Therefore, many studies have been carried out in recent years on the use of brick waste as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) in cement mortar and concrete production. This critical review evaluates the impact of waste brick powder (WBP) on the mechanical and durability properties of mortar and concrete when used as a partial replacement for cement. It was observed that the properties of WBP-blended cement mortar or concrete depend on several factors, including WBP particle size, replacement ratio, pozzolanic activity, and mineralogical structure. The findings indicate that WBP with a particle size range of 100 µm to 25 µm, with a maximum cement replacement level of 10–20%, exhibits a positive impact on the compressive strength of both mortars and concretes. However, it is crucial to emphasize that a minimum curing duration of 28 days is imperative to facilitate the development of a pozzolanic reaction. This temporal requirement plays a vital role in realizing the optimal benefits of utilizing waste brick powder as a supplementary cementitious material in mortars and concretes
Acts of Violence? Anti-Conversion Laws in India
Get PDFYesExtant scholarship on anti-Christian violence in India is scant and predominantly focuses on physical violence. To address this gap, this article explores Freedom of Religion laws (also referred to as anti-conversion laws) as an example of structural violence faced by India's Christians. Thus far, scholars have studied these as a constitutional violation that denies a Christian's freedom of religion. Using Johan Galtung's violence framework, this article seeks to recast these laws as a form of structural violence against Christians. In doing so, it will show how Hindutva's anxieties about the demographic and political ‘Christian threat’ have become embedded into the law. Through an exploration of the southern state of Karnataka, where the Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion was passed in 2022, this article seeks to show how this structural violence interacts and reinforces forms of direct and cultural violence, creating a system of anti-Christian violence designed to maintain India's ‘Hindu majority’
Internationalisation of Board Games
No full textNoAdapting board games for international markets and considering cultural differences, language barriers, and preferences is part of internationalizing board games. This book chapter aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the internationalization of board games from the perspectives of players, designers, and business firms. The first part of this book chapter discusses the role of board games in international markets, considering cultural differences, language barriers, and preferences with more focus on historical evolution. The second section discusses the internationalization of board games from players’ perspectives. The third section discusses the internationalization of board games from the perspectives of designers. The fourth section discusses the internationalization of board games from the perspective of business firms. The final section discusses the managerial implications for future game-designing firms to create board games catering to the international markets