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Funding community resilience in a polycrisis: exploring a Human Learning Systems (+)-based approach
No full textThe complexity of global challenges often described as a polycrisis demands a fundamental rethinking of how communities build resilience. A polycrisis refers to the interconnected and compounding nature of multiple crises, such as climate change, economic instability and social inequality, creating challenges exceeding the sum of their parts. As these crises intensify, traditional funding mechanisms, rooted in risk aversion and rigid outcome-based models, struggle to deliver meaningful, sustainable change at the community level. Salonen et al.’s definition of social pedagogy acknowledges the complexity of modern society and sees the role of social pedagogy as an effort to reconcile individual autonomy with the demands of society. This encourages a deeper understanding of the relationship between the individual, society and Earth by uniting three principal dimensions of a social-ecological worldview from a spatial, temporal and ethical perspective. The article explores how the addition of these considerations into a human learning system funding model, defined as Human Learning Systems (+), supports a more holistic model that recognises and facilitates adaptive learning cycles over the life cycle of a project. The article references work in designing and delivering a human learning systems-based funding model in the Scottish Borders. It also explores the role of trust-based relationships and adaptive learning within a culture/systems-based framework. Current methodologies that attempt to quantify funding outcomes meaningfully are in need of re-evaluation. Learning behaviours that enable communities and organisations to effectively navigate complex adaptive systems may be a key step towards building resilience in a polycrisis
The Nottingham consensus on dementia risk reduction policy: recommendations from a modified Delphi process
No full textTranslation of evidence about dementia risk and its reduction into effective, equitable public health policy is a major challenge. To address this challenge, the National Institute for Health and Care Research Policy Research Unit in Dementia and Neurodegeneration at Queen Mary University of London (DeNPRU-QM) convened a multidisciplinary panel of 40 experts from across England, with diverse lived, academic, clinical, policy and advocacy experience, at various career stages, and of diverse gender and ethnicity, to develop actionable policy recommendations for dementia risk reduction. Through a 2-day in-person workshop and a subsequent three-round modified Delphi survey, the panel evaluated and refined statements on dementia prevention. The panel achieved consensus on 56 recommendations in four domains: public health messaging, individual-level interventions, population-level interventions and research commissioning. A key priority across all domains was the need to consider and address health inequalities so that prevention efforts do not exacerbate existing disparities. Our recommendations provide policymakers with a robust foundation for designing and implementing an evidence-based dementia prevention strategy in England and provide guidance that can inform approaches in other countries and contexts. By prioritizing clear communication, targeted intervention and sustained research investment, the recommendations can help to address structural inequities and advance dementia risk reduction. Ongoing cross-sector advocacy will be crucial in driving policy adoption and implementation
Land-use change undermines the stability of avian functional diversity
No full textLand-use change causes widespread shifts in the composition and functional diversity of species assemblages. However, its impact on ecosystem resilience remains uncertain. The stability of ecosystem functioning may increase after land-use change because the most sensitive species are removed, which leaves more resilient survivors1,2,3. Alternatively, ecosystems may be destabilized if land-use change reduces functional redundancy, which accentuates the ecological impacts of further species loss4,5. Current evidence is inconclusive, partly because trait data have not been available to quantify functional stability at sufficient scale. Here we use morphological measurements of 3,696 bird species to estimate shifts in functional redundancy after recent anthropogenic land-use change at 1,281 sites worldwide. We then use extinction simulations to assess the sensitivity of these altered assemblages to future species loss. Although the proportion of disturbance-tolerant species increases after land-use change, we show that this does not increase stability because functional redundancy is reduced. This decline in redundancy destabilizes ecosystem function because relatively few additional extinctions lead to accelerated losses of functional diversity, particularly in trophic groups that deliver important ecological services such as seed dispersal and insect predation. Our analyses indicate that land-use change may have major undetected impacts on the resilience of key ecological functions, hindering the capacity of natural ecosystems to absorb further reductions in functionality caused by ongoing perturbations
Perioperative thirst management
No full textThirst is one of the most prevalent and distressing symptoms experienced by patients within 24 hours of surgery; however, it remains under-recognised, under-measured and under-treated in clinical practice. This narrative article explores the physiology, aetiology, assessment and management of perioperative thirst, illustrated through a clinical case example. Thirst perception is regulated by complex neural and hormonal mechanisms involving higher-order brain centres, responding to changes in plasma osmolality, sodium concentration and blood volume. In the perioperative period, thirst may arise from true fluid and electrolyte imbalances caused by prolonged fasting, bowel preparation, intraoperative losses, or postoperative nausea and vomiting. Alternatively, it may manifest as xerostomia (dry mouth) due to anxiety and medications, occurring independently of true dehydration. Assessment should evaluate both thirst intensity using validated scales and the resulting patient discomfort. Management strategies include methods addressing underlying fluid and electrolyte disturbances, and providing immediate symptom relief. This article aims to enhance healthcare professionals’ understanding of thirst physiology, encourage active symptom assessment, and promote evidence-based interventions, including shortened preoperative fasting protocols and therapeutic use of cold oral therapies. Recognising and addressing perioperative thirst represents an important, yet often overlooked, aspect of patient-centred care that can significantly improve postoperative comfort and patient experience
Critical Heritage and Social Justice: Redistribution, recognition and representation in context
No full textCritical Heritage and Social Justice brings together insights and experiences of scholars and practitioners working across heritage, museums, galleries, and cultural institutions to explore how principles of social justice can be embedded within these spaces. Bridging theoretical frameworks with practical applications, it presents a range of case studies and critical reflections that illuminate pathways toward transformative, justice-oriented heritage practices. Using Nancy Fraser’s three-dimensional justice framework of redistribution, recognition, and representation, the book situates social justice at the heart of critical heritage studies, highlighting its intersections with urgent global challenges including the climate crisis, conflict, forced migration, and widening social, cultural and economic inequalities. All these issues demand inclusive, equitable and community-engaged approaches within the heritage sector.
Each chapter considers how to support communities, particularly marginalised communities, by linking heritage to broader social justice struggles, addressing structural inequalities, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration, and fostering inclusive education and curatorial practices. Contributors from diverse disciplinary backgrounds – including anthropology, archaeology, architecture, conservation, education, science communication, and urban planning – offer rich, cross-sectoral perspectives. Through this collaborative and critically engaged approach, the volume articulates new conceptual and methodological directions for advancing social justice through heritage work, responding to the urgent demands of a fragmented and rapidly evolving world
Positive autobiographical memories in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms: An exploratory intervention study
No full textObjective: The processing of positive memories technique (PPMT) capitalizes on the content of positive autobiographical memories (AMs) to reduce posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. To advance research on how and why PPMT is effective, this study examined whether and how changes in self-reported positive AM characteristics (vividness, coherence, accessibility, sensory details, visual perspective, emotional intensity, sharing, valence, psychological distance) associated with changes in PTSD symptom severity across PPMT sessions. Method: Seventy individuals were recruited from the community (Mage = 30.44 ± 12.78; 71.4% of participants identified as White, 72.9% identified as female) and received four sessions of PPMT. They completed surveys at baseline (pre-PPMT), at each PPMT session (Sessions 1–4), and 1 week after attending all PPMT sessions (post-PPMT). Results: Paired samples t tests indicated a decrease in PTSD symptom severity pre- to post-PPMT (p< .001, g = −0.91). Linear regression models indicated that improvements in participants’ ease of accessing positive AMs (β = −0.29, p = .015) and in the coherence of the positive AM narratives (β = −0.29, p = .013) from PPMT Sessions 1 to 4 were associated with decreases in PTSD severity pre- to post-PPMT. Conclusions: Further studies should investigate whether targeting improved access to positive AMs and improved abilities to construct coherent narratives of those events could mechanistically reduce PTSD symptoms among participants receiving PPMT. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved
Evaluation models of environmental cognitive performance in the indoor visual environments of care facilities for older adults
No full textThe visual environment, as a non-pharmacological intervention, plays a crucial role in supporting cognitive compensation and promoting functional independence among older adults with cognitive impairment. The absence of performance-driven evaluation methods for environmental cognitive compensation effectiveness hinders the development of cognitive-friendly environments. Therefore, we propose the concept of environmental cognitive performance (ECP) to measure the compensatory effects of the environment on cognition. First, an innovative ECP evaluation system was developed by integrating interface, spatial, and semantic dimensions with the cognitive needs of older adults with mild cognitive impairment. Subsequently, five machine learning models were employed to construct and optimizes a series of evaluation models across commonly used functional spaces. Finally, the importance and compensatory effects of ECP indicators in these functional spaces for supporting different cognitive abilities were analyzed, and critical thresholds for key indicators were identified. The findings emphasize that (1) the ECP evaluation models developed using the RF model exhibit superior explanatory power, with most models achieving R2 values exceeding 0.6; (2) the cognitive compensation effects of ECP indicators are highly dependent on specific functional spaces and particular ECP goals; (3) the semantic dimension exhibits the most pronounced cognitive compensation effects, particularly the window proportion within the field of view, followed by the spatial and interface dimensions; (4) key ECP indicators demonstrate nonlinear cognitive compensation effects, with their critical thresholds providing decision-making guidance for designing cognitive-friendly environments. This study offers designers and managers a quantitative ECP evaluation system and models, establishing a reproducible performance- driven evaluation paradigm
Breaking down the Borderlines between Abortion and Miscarriage: Towards a Full-Spectrum Approach to Pregnancy Endings
No full textThis article questions the miscarriage/abortion distinction to build
solidarity across pregnancy experiences and endings. Drawing on
anthropological research, it highlights how lived experiences blur
this boundary and asks which frameworks can best acknowledge
such ambiguity and support inclusive social and clinical practice.
We explore how a certain kind of abortion – ‘termination for medical reasons’ or ‘TMFR’ – is already treated as contiguous with
miscarriage when incorporated under the ‘pregnancy loss’ umbrella
within the UK advocacy scene. This can foster recognition and care,
but we argue it risks reinforcing the ‘good abortion/bad abortion’
distinction and exceptionalising assumptions about the ‘separateness’ of abortion. We also voice concern that the language of loss
and bereavement is coming to overdetermine representations of
miscarriage in the UK, which can result in marginalization, alienation and self-doubt for those who do not experience a grief
response. As an alternative, we argue for a maximally inclusive
‘full-spectrum’ approach that supports all pregnancy endings,
regardless of circumstance or emotional response. In making this
case, we refer to policies around employment leave for pregnancy
endings and campaigns for decriminalization of abortion, which
demonstrate that meaningful support for miscarriage cannot be
achieved until abortion too, in all its forms, is supported