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Physical structural assessment of a segmented concrete shell building floor prototype
No full textTo reduce the significant environmental impact of the construction industry, building floors designed as concrete shells that work mainly in compression and that are segmented for prefabrication and disassembly offer a promising alternative to reinforced thick flat slabs. The OAK prototype, a 4.5 m × 4.5 m segmented concrete shell with reversible dry joints for reusable building floors offers such potential. The non-linear behaviour of the concrete material and the segmented shell system make understanding the mechanics of such a structural system challenging for practical design. In particular, the compressive stresses and the slenderness of shells, along with their fabrication and assembly imperfections, make them prone to instability. This paper reports the methodology and results from a set of physical structural assessments on the OAK prototype, including material, serviceability, robustness, and stability tests
Undergraduate psychology students’ perceptions of open research: The relationship between statistics understanding, attitudes, and questionable research practices
Get PDFFollowing growing awareness of replication concerns in research and the rise of Open Research (OR), psychologists have begun investigating what contributes to Questionable Research Practices (QRPs) amongst academics but less so amongst students. Undergraduates represent the next generation of psychologists, and recent changes in the undergraduate psychology curricula across UK universities have enhanced and modernised the provision of research methods and statistics teaching. Still, students continue to struggle with statistics, and how students perceive OR practices may be associated with their experiences learning statistics. In this two-study UK-wide project, we employed a series of online questionnaires to investigate the relationships between various factors including statistics understanding and attitudes and undergraduate students’ perceptions of OR and QRPs. In Study 1 (N = 267), we found that, in final-year psychology students, awareness of OR was related to perceptions of QRPs as well as statistics confidence and grades. In Study 2 (N = 695), in psychology students across all years, we found that attitudes toward statistics were associated with statistics confidence, competence, and attitudes toward learning about OR. We also found that statistics interpretation aptitude and statistics attitudes predicted perceptions of OR. Our findings have important implications for the teaching of OR, science, and statistics, and for incorporating OR into higher education curricula
The story of REDD+ in Nigeria: A critical view of the participation of forest-dependent communities
Get PDFThe Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) programme aims to reduce carbon emissions and improve forest degradation in developing countries. This article analyses the extent of the involvement of forest-dependent communities in REDD+ activities in Nigeria. Drawing on insights from policy documents and scholarly research, we sought to understand the rationale behind involving forest-dependent communities in all stages of the REDD+ programme and the obstacles that impede local engagement in Nigeria. We draw on participatory approaches and our focus is on assessing the likely impacts of REDD+ activities on local forest practices, the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities and the concerns related to the misappropriation of forest benefits. First, we show that the effectiveness of the REDD+ programme in Nigeria hinges on the integration of local forest management practices employed by forest-dependent communities like the Ekuri community, who have a longstanding history of preserving forests. Second, we argue that to enhance the engagement of forest-dependent communities in REDD+ activities, a blend of strong participatory rights and deliberative democratic approaches that integrate relational values and embrace local forest practices are needed. These approaches, when combined, foster participation of forest-dependent communities and enrich not only Nigeria but also other countries of the global south facing similar challenges
Exploring the behaviours of small business entrepreneurs in the gastro-dining industry: Risks, relationships and gourmet chefs in action
Get PDFA growing number of chefs are setting up their own businesses to offer a gastro-dining experience in places without an extensive gastro-dining tradition. In this context, our purpose is to explore the behaviours of entrepreneurs of small businesses in the newly developing Turkish gastro-dining market. We adopted a qualitative research design to gain insight into the perceptions of ten entrepreneurs. Our findings demonstrate that the participants’ entrepreneurial behaviour can be explained through effectuation logic. This manifests itself through control over consumption, learning and improvising within the flow of life as well as the exchange of informal and positive relationships with stakeholders. Furthermore, we discovered that those entrepreneurs with gastronomy training also exhibited entrepreneurial behaviour in terms of aiming to become a brand, with a causation logic along with effectuation
Supporting individuals with a visible difference: A UK survey of needs and preferences
No full textIndividuals with visible differences, resulting from injuries, health conditions, or treatment, can face varied and lasting psychosocial effects. Existing psychosocial interventions are limited, with inconsistent support noted by specialists. Improved provision and accessibility are crucial; yet, the self-perceived needs remain underreported. This study explored the self-reported support needs of affected adults to better understand their needs and inform support provision. An online survey conducted in the UK from October to December 2022 inquired about support preferences, delivery methods, and current and future anticipated considerations when seeking assistance. Quantitative data were analyzed statistically, and open-ended responses were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Five hundred and fifty individuals (aged 18-82 years; 489 (88.9 %) female) participated. The majority (80.5 %) wanted more information on potential treatments, while 53.6 % wanted insights into causes, and 61.3 % wanted help accepting their appearance. Preferred sources included healthcare professionals (89.3 %), online/digital platforms (websites 65.8 %, online support groups 47.6 %) and in-person support (counseling (45.8 %), support groups (37.5 %)). Participants' support-seeking decisions were influenced by access to condition-specific information, evidence-based practices, and healthcare professional awareness. Individuals with visible differences require holistic support from various providers, delivered in a range of formats. Findings can inform support strategies and services. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Sustainable, wearable, and eco-friendly electronic textiles
Get PDFWearable electronic textiles (e‐textiles) with embedded electronics offer promising solutions for unobtrusive, real‐time health monitoring, enhancing healthcare efficiency. However, their adoption is limited by performance and sustainability challenges in materials, manufacturing, and recycling. This study introduces a sustainable paradigm for the fabrication of fully inkjet‐printed Smart, Wearable, and Eco‐friendly Electronic Textiles (SWEET) with the first comprehensive assessments of the biodegradability and life cycle assessment (LCA). SWEET addresses existing limitations, enabling concurrent and continuous monitoring of human physiology, including skin surface temperature (at temperature coefficient of resistance, TCR value of ~−4.4% °C−1) and heart rate (~74 beats per minute, bpm) separately and simultaneously like the industry gold standard, using consistent, versatile, and highly efficient inkjet‐printed graphene and Poly (3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene): poly (styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)‐based wearable e‐textiles. Demonstrations with a wearable garment on five human participants confirm the system's capability to monitor their electrocardiogram (ECG) signals and skin temperature. Such sustainable and biodegradable e‐textiles decompose by ~48% in weight and lost ~98% strength over 4 months. Life cycle assessment (LCA) reveals that the graphene‐based electrode has the lowest climate change impact of ~0.037 kg CO2 eq, 40 times lower than reference electrodes. This approach addresses material and manufacturing challenges, while aligning with environmental responsibility, marking a significant leap forward in sustainable e‐textile technology for personalized healthcare management
Guided self-help for bulimia nervosa: A comparison of individual and group provision
No full textThis service evaluation explores the implementation of Guided Self-Help (GSH), the first line recommended treatment for Bulimia Nervosa, in both individual and group formats, in an NHS community eating disorder service. The study aimed to examine the effectiveness of GSH, compare this across treatment modalities, and explore the therapy experience of participants. N=23 participants engaged in individual and n=38 engaged in group treatment. Three outcome measures (EDE-Q, CIA and PHQ-9) were administered pre- and post-treatment. For both treatment modalities, post-intervention scores significantly improved on all outcome measures. In comparison, the individual treatment modality was found to be more effective for those with more extensive depressive symptoms. The study suggested that both individual and group GSH interventions are effective, supporting group implementation within community eating disorder services. It may be that those with more extensive depression symptoms would benefit to a greater extent from the individual intervention
Magnet ingestion in children in the United Kingdom: A national prospective observational surveillance study
Get PDFObjective: Magnet ingestion in children and young people (CYP) is associated with significant harm. We aimed to describe the incidence, circumstances and outcomes of magnet ingestion in CYP in the United Kingdom (UK). Design: Prospective multicentre observational surveillance study. Setting: UK secondary and tertiary level hospitals in urban and rural settings. Patients: CYP ≤16 years of age who ingested ≥1 magnet. Interventions: Data were collected regarding demographics, circumstances surrounding ingestion, clinical features and management. The primary outcome was the incidence of magnet ingestion in the UK. Results: Between 1 May 2022 and 30 April 2023, 366 cases of magnet ingestion were recorded, of which 314 met eligibility (median age 8.7 years (IQR 5.1–12.0)). The incidence of magnet ingestion in the UK was at least 2.4/100 000 (95% CI 2.2 to 2.7) CYP per year. CYP sourced magnets from toys (38%), and magnet products were predominantly purchased by parents or caregivers (19%). Magnet-related injuries occurred in 23 (7%) cases, and surgery was undertaken in 32 (10%). Single magnet ingestions did not cause magnet-related injury. Swallowing greater numbers of magnets associated with an increased risk of injury (OR 1.1 (95% CI 1.0 to 1.2), p=0.002). CYP were asymptomatic in 75% of cases, but clinical features on presentation were associated with an increased risk of injury (OR 3.8 (95% CI 1.4 to 10.3), p=0.008). Conclusions: While magnet ingestion in children is uncommon, ingestion of multiple magnets can cause injuries requiring surgery. Greater public and clinician awareness of the associated risks is warranted. This study can inform public health interventions and evidence-based guidelines
Statehood à la carte in the Caribbean and the Pacific: Secession, regionalism, and postcolonial politics by Jack Corbett, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2023, x + 302 pp., £83 (hardback), ISBN 9780192864246
No full textPitcairn
Get PDFThe islands of Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno (commonly known as Pitcairn) make up a single territory, the last remaining British overseas territory in the Pacific Ocean. During the period under review, Pitcairn had a larger international profile than was usual due to the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and the coronation of King Charles III and as a consequence of being listed as a hostile country by the Russian government. Domestically, the key issues were Pitcairn’s continuing struggles to find a way to secure its future as a viable community; efforts to determine the best option to establish a high-speed Internet link; management of COVID-19, which finally arrived in July; and continuing problems with effective communication both between Pitcairn and the United Kingdom and within the territory itself