11370 research outputs found
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An overview of the current concerns regarding police officer mental health and interventions in place to address these
Full text linkMental health and wellbeing among police officers in the UK is an increasing problem, with sickness absence continuing to rise annually in the face of increased workloads, fewer officers, and an increasingly young and inexperienced workforce. This paper present a summary of the current causes of such issues, as well as an analysis of the approaches in place seeking to address them and their effectiveness
Following the money: Evaluating evidence gathering using financial investigation in the world of covert human intelligence source handling
Full text linkThis research examines the possibilities for covert human intelligence sources (CHIS) handlers to gather financial intelligence against organised crime groups (OCGs). The focus will be on the financial footprint left by individual offenders and criminal enterprises for the purpose of targeting one form of the proceeds of crime, cash. The paper considers the practical utility of financial investigation techniques for routine use outside of the specialist area of asset recovery and confiscation. This is intended to provide balance with the traditional CHIS focus on commodities such as drugs, stolen goods, and firearms or evidence of serious offending such as murder or terrorism. After discussing existing policy, practice and research, the core method used in the paper involves primary research gathered by way of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to all United Kingdom (UK) police forces. Analysis and discussion of that data illustrates that a substantial majority of forces varying exemptions cited under the FOI rules The authors assess the received data and information and offer further critical analysis of the force rationales for non-disclosure. Currently, the situation concerning the use of financial investigation techniques and CHIS remains unanswered. Financial gain is a strategic priority for OCGs and most offenders but, strangely, financial investigation is not a strategic priority for intelligence-led and evidence-based UK policing
Exploring vibrational resonance in biophysical systems with fractional-order damping
Full text linkVibrational Resonance (VR), which is characterised by the enhancement of the maximum response of a weakly driven system’s output signal induced by a high-frequency (HF) periodic signal, was numerically examined in a bi-harmonically driven dimensionless model of an enzymesubstrate reaction with fractional-order damping, which models coherent oscillations in brain waves. The model incorporates a damping force that depends on a non-integer (fractional) order derivative rather than the typical first-order derivative in classical damping models. The output response was obtained by solving the model numerically using Grunwald-Letnikov’s fractional derivatives definition. The response amplitude,¨ computed from the Fourier spectrum of the output signal, was used to characterise VR. The effect of the fractional-order damping coefficient on the observed VR was considered for different damping strength coefficients. Single-peak resonances were observed. The fractional-order damping modulated the observed VR in a manner similar to the damping strength in an integer-order system, by reducing the high-frequency signal amplitude at which VR occurs. Increased brain wave activity from enzyme-substrate reaction may be due to inherent energy transfers from changes in the rate of decay, hence significant behavioural changes in brain wave activity could be linked to inherent changes in the decay rate of the excited enzymes, even when there is no change in the number of enzyme-substrate carriers. This study reveals the potential of fractional-order damping for enhancing biophysical system modelling, with implications for understanding brain wave activities
Implementing environmental management systems (ISO14001) in the construction sector of Ghana
Full text linkEnvironmental management systems (EMS) enable organisations to manage their environmental impacts. Globalisation has resulted in more organisations needing to engage in environmental sustainability. In developed nations, ISO 14001 provides the key guidance, but in developing nations, sustainability remains a new concept. This study investigates EMS implementation within the Ghanaian construction sector which has low EMS adoption. A critical literature review identified 11 benefits, 11 barriers and 10 strategies for implementing EMS in the construction sector. The views of construction professionals in Ghana were sought regarding the benefits, barriers and strategies. Of 150 questionnaires distributed, 60 were returned and 52 were deemed usable. Data was analysed using the voting analytic hierarchy process (Manu et al., 2019). The results showed that “cost savings due to the reduction of fines associated with convictions” was the main perceived benefit of implementing EMS, while the major barrier was “a lack of government legal enforcement”. The most significant implementation strategy was suggested to be “the implementation of a legal requirement for environmental protection for EMS”. It is concluded that lack of legal requirements may impede ISO 14001 engagement. The recommendation is that environmental regulations and policies are created to encourage the adoption of EMS
How are nature exposures and nature connectedness related to well‐being and environmentalism in the population of England?
Full text linkThe twin crises of mental and planetary health can benefit from understanding how visiting nature and nature connectedness are related to well-being and environmentalism. These relationships are complicated by (1) the quality of neighbourhood nature, which can influence both nature visit behaviour and nature connectedness, as well as well-being and environmentalism; (2) the interplay between visiting nature and nature connectedness in these relationships.
Cross-sectional data from the People and Nature Surveys in England was used to estimate associations between nature visit frequency and nature connectedness, and a range of well-being and environmentalism outcomes (N range 4588–12,082), with relationships adjusted for perceived neighbourhood nature quality. Interaction between nature visit frequency and connectedness was accounted for in restricted cubic spline models. We estimated the effects of contrasts in nature visit frequency at different levels of connectedness, and the effects of increased nature connectedness at levels of visit frequency.
Overall, both visiting nature and nature connectedness were positively related to both well-being and environmentalism.
Well-being benefits associated with increased nature visit frequency were differentially greater at higher nature connectedness. Well-being benefits associated with increased nature connectedness were differentially greater at low connectedness, especially in combination with low nature visit frequency. Environmentalism benefits associated with increased nature visit frequency were greater at lower than at mid-range nature connectedness. Environmentalism benefits associated with increased nature connectedness at low visit frequency were greater at low connectedness, but at high visit frequency conservation behaviour benefits associated with increased nature connectedness were greater at high connectedness.
Policy implications: The benefits of visiting nature and nature connectedness to well-being and environmentalism highlight the need for policy to simultaneously promote both access and connectedness, and the complexity of relationships suggests how interventions can be targeted
Contemporary economic crime: issues and challenges
No full textThis edited collection explores the culpability of corporate bodies and international organisations and examines the different responses to economic offences such as money laundering, bribery and corruption, cybercrime, market manipulation, insider trading and market abuse. In a world where corporations wield legal personhood, the legal intricacies of corporate criminal liability come to the forefront. While national and international lawmakers attempt to rein in corporate power, the ever-evolving landscape demands a re-evaluation of the current normative framework.
The heart of the book lies in its dual mission — firstly, to compare the different jurisdictional approaches to crimes committed by corporations, and secondly, to propose solutions to some of the challenges faced by lawmakers, policymakers and law enforcement. Expert contributors embark on a global journey from North America to the Asia Pacific via Europe, from Common Law jurisdictions to Civil Law ones, unravelling the diverse approaches to corporate and institutional crime. The challenges facing lawmakers, policymakers and law enforcement are explored throughout this book, alongside solutions to the complex issues they face, whether this involves money laundering, bribery and corruption, fraud, cybertrafficking and corporate involvement in human rights violations.
Contemporary Economic Crime: Issues and Challenges is an indispensable resource for anyone captivated by the dynamic dominion of white-collar and corporate wrongdoing. It will be of interest to academics, legal practitioners, lawmakers, policymakers and law enforcement navigating the complex terrain of financial and corporate crime
Exploring barriers and facilitators to effective self-management in individuals with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
Full text linkThe present study explored the lived experiences of individuals with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome to identify barriers and facilitators to effective self-management. Five female participants (mean age; 33.2 ± 13.00 years) with a formal diagnosis of ME/CFS, were recruited via social media. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Barriers to self-management were identified as one key theme, comprising two sub-themes: i) navigating competing and cyclical symptom burdens and ii) the need for self-advocacy. Facilitators of self-management were identified under two main themes: adapting to manage symptoms, with sub-themes of i) navigating symptom management through trial and error and ii) growing confidence over time, and social and practical support, which included i) family and partner support and ii) workplace flexibility. Key barriers included the physical, emotional, and social toll of symptoms, while facilitators such as trial-and-error, growing confidence, and social and workplace support were crucial. Although self-advocacy is essential, it emerged as both a necessary and burdensome strategy. To improve the quality of life of individuals with ME/CFS, there is an urgent need to reduce the reliance on extensive self-advocacy which may help to alleviate this burden by making healthcare systems and support structures more responsive, accessible and patient-centred
Spéirscéalta / Stories of the Air
No full textThis is an artist book, or artefact from the collaborative project Spéirscéalta / Stories of the Air.
Spéirscéalta/ Stories of the Air, Galway (Science Foundation Ireland) 2022-24 as part of the Samhail Collective with Dr Liz Coleman (UofGalway) and Dr Mairéad Hurley (TCD) we collected stories of the air mixing science fact, fiction, and folklore generated from walks, conversations, performances and creative workshops in Irish and English held across Galway. From which we produced a bilingual creative text Spéirscéalta / Stories of the Air
Skin wetness perception across body sites in children and adolescents aged 7–16 years old
Full text linkHuman skin wetness perception relies on the multisensory integration of thermal and mechanical cues during contact with moisture. Yet, it is unknown whether children and adolescents perceive skin wetness similarly to younger and older adults. We investigated skin wetness perceptions across the forehead, neck, forearm, and foot dorsum in 12 children/adolescents (4F/8M; 12 ± 3 years), 41 younger (21F/20M; 25 ± 3 years), and 21 older adults (11F/10M; 56 ± 6 years), during two established quantitative sensory tests. Our results indicated that, given the same moisture content (0.8 mL of water), very cold-wet stimuli applied to the forearm were perceived by all groups as wetter than neutral-wet (mean difference: 35.5 mm on a 100-mm visual analogue scale for wetness [95% CI: 22.3, 38.7]; P < 0.0001; ∼35% difference) and very hot-wet stimuli (mean difference: 22.7 mm [95% CI: 14.5, 40.9]; P < 0.0001; ∼23% difference). Children/adolescents also reported greater wetness perceptions than older adults during cold-wet stimulation of the forehead, neck and foot dorsum (mean difference: 20.6 mm; 95% CI: 1.5, 39.7; P = 0.031; ∼21% difference). In all age groups, the foot dorsum presented higher cold-wet sensitivity (mean difference: 11.1mm [95%CI 2.2, 20.0] p = 0.010; ~11% difference) and lower warm-wet sensitivity than the neck (mean difference: 12.9mm [95%CI 2.8, 23.0] p = 0.008; ~13% difference). We conclude that wetness perceptions in children/adolescents (age range: 7–16 years) are similar to those of adults in that both present (1) a characteristic U-shaped relationship between stimulus temperature and perceived wetness magnitude and (2) similar body regional patterns. These findings provide novel evidence on age-dependent variations in wetness perception which could inform user-centred innovation in thermal protection and garment design
Evolving prescribing practice through personalisation, the judicious use of decision aids, and clinical reasoning.
Full text linkAbstract
Background
Prescribing practice by nurses, pharmacists, and allied health professionals has progressed significantly over the past four decades and is expanding at an accelerated rate. My research questions, educational approaches, and written works stem from an ambition to promote best clinical and educational practice for prescribing decision-making. Published works related to the topics of education, research, and prescribing have been appraised.
Aims & Objectives
The overarching aim of this critical appraisal was to examine my unique body of research and peer-reviewed published works spanning 20 years and evaluate the impact on education for enhancing prescribers’ decision-making skills.
The underpinning question throughout these works and the appraisal is:
What contributes to the evolvement of prescribers’ clinical decision-making?
The objectives are:
1. To critically appraise varied methods of research and knowledge transfer to constructively impact the practice of future prescribers.
2. To evaluate how reflexivity, critical thinking, and self-awareness affect practice and examine educational techniques to stimulate these.
3. To analyse key influences on personalised decision-making, identifying strategies to optimise its inclusion in prescribing practice.
4. To examine how published works including mnemonics and models can contribute to prescribing practice, analyse limitations, and recommend ways to address these.
Methods
Peer-reviewed published works from 2012 to 2024 are examined to question their influence on prescribing practice and draw conclusions as to how contributions to education and research can be optimised in the future. Review questions centre around knowledge acquisition for prescribing in implementing best practice and effective, person-centred decision-making. The appraised research covers distinct methodologies including primary qualitative, quantitative, as well as secondary integrative review. As such, it spans several approaches, frameworks or paradigms including positivist, critical realism, contextualism, and pragmatism. The primary research generated new knowledge around educative feedback methods while secondary research and resulting publications widely disseminated new information of pertinence to clinical practice, such as a novel clinical decision-making model for prescribing. Ethics approval was previously attained for the primary studies, while for the purpose of this appraisal, ethics was approved for a qualitative survey evaluation of the prescribing consultation model. A diverse set of publications including the decision-making model for prescribing, are appraised in relation to their influence on practice. Consideration is given to my learning journey as a researcher and educator and the themes are gathered to produce a revised model for prescribing practice and other educational resources for future dissemination.
Findings
Principal findings of my primary research (Gould and Day, 2012) demonstrate a link between academic feedback methods and students’ self-reported confidence. Secondary research, particularly into research methods for obesity studies (Brown and Gould, 2013) highlight the importance of researcher reflexivity, as a transferrable principle to education and clinical practice. Other research such as a prescribing textbook (Gould and Bain, 2022a) and its subsequent articles (Gould and Bain, 2022b, 2022c, 2022d, and 2023) inform strategies for clinical decision making in prescribing practice. Findings note the use of decision aids to be useful in guiding earlier stages of practice for novice prescribers as they expand their clinical reasoning skills required for safe and effective prescribing. Evaluation of a prescribing consultation model highlights a need to be more direct in advocating for person-centred decision-making and prompted changes to the original model.
Impact
Evidence of impact on clinical education comprises the wide dissemination of published works which also prompted speaking engagements within the United Kingdom and internationally. The uptake of the research publications and textbook demonstrates potential for advancing health professionals’ knowledge of clinical decision-making for prescribing by informing and influencing education and practice. Recommendations include partnering for endorsement of the revised prescribing model to further influence the practice of personalised clinical decision-making