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Evaluation of the British Medical Ultrasound Society (BMUS) preceptorship and capability development framework for sonographers: A realist approach
Full text linkIntroduction: In 2022, the British Medical Ultrasound Society (BMUS) launched their Preceptorship and Capability Development Framework, the first document of its kind for sonographers and an important professional milestone. Since the framework's publication, its functionality in practice has not been evaluated. To address this gap, a preliminary realist evaluation was conducted. Its aim was to advance our understanding of why the framework 'works' (or not), how, for whom, in what context, and to what extent. Methods: As a preliminary realist enquiry, the central objective was to elicit initial programme theories (IPTs) about how the framework effects change (intended or otherwise) in different contexts. The IPTs were generated 'retroductively'. First, the incarnate theories embedded within the framework were inductively surfaced. Then, these were deductively tested in two semi-structured focus groups, comprising eight participants. Themes were surfaced using thematic analysis, from which IPTs emerged as 'context-mechanism-outcome' configurations (CMOCs). Results: The analysis surfaced three core themes: structured, systems thinking approach; human factors; and boundary-spanning benefits. From these, thirty-five IPTs emerged in the form of CMOCs, capturing the causal pathways between contexts, mechanisms, and outcomes. Conclusion: Preceptorship should be a priority for the ultrasound workforce: it helps to future-proof the profession, solidify sonographer identity, elevate the professional profile, and demonstrate self-regulation. This study advances the preceptorship agenda by evaluating the framework and offering valuable insights into its 'real world' functionality. Implications for practice: The surfacing of IPTs as functional units (CMOCs) narrows the knowledge-to-practice gap; because stakeholders can discern which outcomes are triggered in which circumstances, they can target their efforts accordingly. As such, the study has important implications for practice, as its design and outputs facilitate the development of holistic implementation strategies
Nature-inspired ML for strength estimation and multi-objective optimization of cement-supplementary material-stabilized soft soils
No full textSoft soil stabilization poses a major challenge in geotechnical engineering, requiring solutions that balance performance with sustainability. This paper presents automated methodologies combining Machine Learning (ML) and optimization algorithms for designing cement-Supplementary Cementitious Material (SCM) blend binders for effective soil stabilization. Key design variables are investigated, highlighting their pivotal role in achieving optimal strength. Among the ML models, the Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB) with Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO) achieved the highest predictive accuracy (R2 = 0.9798). Feature evaluations highlight the importance of curing time, binder content, cement proportion, and Ground Granulated Blast-furnace Slag (GGBS) content, while revealing the negative correlation of parameters like plasticity index and liquid limit. GGBS incorporation proves effective in enhancing soil strength. The proposed approach, validated against European standards, demonstrates superior mechanical performance and environmental benefits, with multi-criteria decision analysis identifying sustainable mix designs that balance economic and environmental factors without compromising mechanical performance
Delivering the neighbourhood health Service: Estates (DNE0023)
Full text linkPublished research on the NHS estate remains sparse, limiting the evidence to support efficient planning and implementation of the Neighbourhood Health Service programme. Despite this, the 2021 CDC programme has introduced more than 160 CDCs within community settings, demonstrating that large scale community estate can be implemented effectively (NHS England, 2025a), albeit with substantial financial implications. The Neighbourhood Health Service programme should consider lessons learned from the CDC programme
Nurturing creative futures: How Watershed supports creative research and development
No full textThis report charts Watershed’s value to the creative research and development ecosystem. Watershed, a cultural organisation in Bristol, UK, works at the interface between research, creative practice and emerging technologies, bringing a values-led approach to innovation. It does this primarily through its long term support of a community in Pervasive Media Studio. The report identifies the specific ways that Watershed's work through Pervasive Media Studio supports creative research and development
Integrated environmental information system for damp and mould prevention
No full textDamp and mould in buildings present persistent challenges for public health and building management, contributing to respiratory illnesses, degraded indoor air quality, and increased maintenance costs. A key challenge is the reliance on traditional detection approaches, such as manual inspections, occupant questionnaires, and short-term environmental measurements, which are often subjective, time-consuming, and reactive. For example, isolated temperature and relative humidity (RH) readings frequently fail to capture seasonal moisture fluctuations, while inspections typically identify problems only after visible mould growth has occurred, limiting opportunities for early intervention. In addition, existing monitoring systems rarely integrate environmental data with building-specific contextual information, such as construction details or historical diagnostic records, reducing their ability to identify the root causes of dampness. To address these challenges, this study proposes the Integrated Environmental Information System for Dampness and Mould Prevention (IEIS-DMP), a scalable and sustainable Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven framework for proactive damp and mould risk management. The system integrates Large Language Models (LLMs) with an Agentic Retrieval-Augmented Generation (Agentic RAG) architecture, enabling autonomous planning, multimodal data retrieval, and contextual reasoning. IEIS-DMP combines high-resolution sensor data, Building Information Modelling (BIM), and unstructured diagnostic documents to continuously assess indoor environmental conditions. Through a Natural Language (NL) interface, users can obtain timely, evidence-based insights and targeted recommendations. Validation using real-world datasets demonstrates strong system performance, achieving 95.2% completeness and 94.6% accuracy. These outcomes show that IEIS-DMP supports early risk identification, informed decision-making, reduced remediation costs, and healthier indoor environments, while its modular design enables scalability and adaptation to other environmental monitoring domains
Self-management of male urinary symptoms: Qualitative findings from a primary care trial
No full textBackgroundInformed self-management is the first-line treatment for male lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). The extent of delivery in primary care is unclear. The TRIUMPH (TReating Urinary symptoms in Men in Primary Healthcare) cluster randomised controlled trial compared a structured self-management intervention to usual care for men with LUTS. We report on embedded qualitative interviews.Aim Investigate men’s experiences of LUTS, engagement with primary care and responses to a self-management intervention and the perspectives of primary care clinicians, to inform the delivery of self-management guidance in primary care.Design and Setting Qualitative interview study within the TRIUMPH trial across 30 General Practice sites.Method Semi-structured interviews with 58 men with LUTS and 14 treating clinicians, analysed using thematic analysis.Results Men with LUTS were characterised as ‘languishing’; poorly informed; discounting symptoms as ‘just old men’s problems’; and experiencing Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) testing cycles, that did not resolve their LUTS. GP’s described focus on LUTS self-management being restricted by clinical pressures and attending to prostate cancer concerns. The TRIUMPH self-help intervention booklet was strongly valued by men who described greater understanding of their symptoms and self-management options, and reported both LUTS and quality of life improvements. Some men found the intervention unrewarding. Conclusion Explanation and tailored self-management support was liked and found useful by men with LUTS. Recommendations for clinical practice include: avoiding language perceived as dismissive; LUTS follow-up after PSA testing; focusing on symptoms and self-management approaches; and distributing the TRIUMPH booklet widely
The social costs of Capitalism - evaluating socio-ecological arguments for post-Capitalist calculation
No full textDebate continues surrounding the proposal for a revolutionary social-ecological economics. This concerns, in particular, the question of how to frame and address urgent socio-ecological problems and crises; whether as “socialized costs” and “cost shifting”, or “externalities” and “market failure” (Spash 2019). “Social costs” has been identified as the core concern of socialists during the socialist calculation debate (Berger 2024), playing the main part in the critique of capitalist calculation and accounting. “Social waste” became simultaneously the core theme of social economics (Rutherford 2011). “Social costs” and “social waste” critically capture preventable resource depletion, environmental disruption, and social problems, such as unmet human needs. This reflects the common underlying understanding behind both concepts that capitalism antagonizes both society and nature. Linking the current “Spash-debate” back to the socialist calculation debate highlights continuity in the coherent core of revolutionary arguments for post-capitalist calculation; namely, the prevention of social cost based on socially evaluated “calculations in kind” as the essence of social-ecological economy . It also demonstrates that “social costs” arose as counter-claim to the leading neoliberal claim by Ludwig von Mises on the indispensable and superior rationality of markets (including capital markets). This culminated in the rejection of solutions proposed by neoliberal and neoclassical “externalities” theories because these are exclusively based on individual subjectivism and/or monetary market valuation. (Berger 2017, ch. 4) Nevertheless, foundational revolutionary socio-ecological theories – similar to heterodox economics in general (Mearman et al. 2023) - exhibit only a messy coherence in terms of the details of their causal analyses and their solutions. Therefore, the main aim of the article is to evaluate the messy coherence in the revolutionary socio-ecological arguments by foundational economists T.B. Veblen, J.M. Clark, K. Polanyi, and K.W. Kapp. While the latter two authors have been discussed as foundational influences within the journal of Ecological Economics (Berger 2024), the former two have not been explored in any detail within Ecological Economics . Due to their only messy coherence, it is not possible to provide a concise definition of concepts or theories. Instead, a careful assessment is required, which is the task of this article. This aims to tackle the question what this messy coherence between original contributions can contribute to a revolutionary social-ecological economics. Original arguments of foundational revolutionary socio-ecological thinkers are evaluated to establish the coherence, messiness, strengths and weaknesses of their proposals for post-capitalist calculation of social costs
‘His heads gone and that’s as far as it goes’; using IPA and an intimate insider approach to understand the impact of social deprivation on men’s mental health and help seeking in the South Wales Valleys
Full text linkThis study explores how men from the South Wales Valleys, an area characterised by significant social deprivation, think about mental health issues and seeking help for them. Living in areas of social deprivation is widely acknowledged within the literature to negatively impact both of these aspects. A partial intimate insider research perspective was used to recruit and interview six participants and it was acknowledged that the population under study would be more likely to engage with someone who shared their background social context. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyse the data and to develop themes which pertained to the intersection of culture, social class, masculinity, and mental health difficulties. The two themes that are discussed here are A Cultural of Threat and Oppression: ‘It’s hard to live around here, I see the Valleys as fight of flight’ and Us in the Valleys and Them Outside ‘You have to be from the Valleys to talk to someone from the Valleys’. Each superordinate theme is made up of subthemes, and these will be explored in the article. The discussion focuses on essential insights from the data giving voice to this marginilised population and providing food for thought for mental health professionals and policy makers
The effects of different types of crowd noise on penalty taking performance in football
Full text linkCrowd noise impacts sporting performance, although little is known about this effect on penalty taking in football. This study explored the effect of crowd noise (positive, negative, stress-inducing, or no sound) on penalty-taking performance (accuracy and ball speed), and whether psychological skills contributed to this relationship. Twenty-four footballers took 20 unopposed penalties (with no goalkeeper present) whilst listening to pre-recoded crowd noises (5 penalties per the four conditions, presented in a counterbalanced order). After each condition, the same 16-item psychological skill questionnaire was completed by participants that measured, self-talk, imagery, relaxation, and emotional control. The results indicated that penalty-taking accuracy, although not ball speed was worse when listening to negative crowd noise. Self-talk is used more by players who were less accurate, and no psychological skill was able to moderate any negative effects of noise type on penalty taking. Encouraging players to train under different crowd noises might enhance performance and decision-making when in competition
Across landscapes and lifespan: causes and solutions of gender-based violence from survivors of sexual violence against women and girls (VAWG)
Full text linkViolence Against Women and Girls in public spaces has become a focus for violence prevention policy since the murder of Sarah Everard but is this how survivors experience VAWG? This study listened to survivors as part of Safer Spaces funded research. We report on qualitative data in the context of a review of policy and practice across one UK region. 13 survivors took part in online focus groups, safeguarded within a specialist sexual violence support service (SARSAS). Thematic analysis highlighted a discrepancy of policy and survivors’ perception of safety and spaces as well as the social inequality framing of cause and prevention. Survivors solutions focused on education and prevention. This dissonance of approaches was most acute in survivors experiences of the criminal justice and policing systems and raised examples of how survivors saw their own vulnerability making them both a target but also a less credible victim. The findings are set within contextual area statistics of a justice gap which suggest only 0.5% of rapes result in a conviction. Survivors in this study are clear about what they need from services and recommendations using the existing evidence base are summarised