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A global call to action for disability inclusion in health research
Get PDFDespite bringing great strengths and facing substantial health inequities, disabled people remain underserved by health research; addressing this requires multi-level actions spanning all areas of research
Moving waste storage towards a circular economy: Barriers and opportunities
Get PDFMany countries have policies to transition to a circular economy, yet wastes continue to be landfilled despite often containing valuable resources. Conventional landfills are unsustainable and many countries have adopted targets to reduce the amount of waste being deposited in them. This paper explores the barriers and opportunities of a novel approach to landfill design: the ‘ASPIRE waste repository concept’ where ore-forming processes are engineered in, so that the valuable components of waste can be recovered. To do so, we draw on a literature review and in-depth, semi-structured interviews with twenty stakeholders from the waste management, engineering and environmental management sectors. We found that there are significant opportunities for the ASPIRE concept, particularly in current policy towards a circular economy and the liabilities associated with the long-term storage of waste in landfills. However, the analysis highlighted several interwoven barriers that need to be overcome, including the need to shift the economic conditions and regulatory framework to enable the technology, and demonstrate the environmental performance of the repositories and the long-term efficacy of the resource recovery. If these could be addressed, this ASPIRE concept could provide a practicable circular economy solution for materials that would otherwise go to conventional landfill
Using Minecraft to explore the Amazon rainforest
No full textHere, Laura, Sophie, Mark, Jay, Jackie and Carly report on a project designed to engage key stage 2 pupils with geography and environmental topics by using Minecraft to investigate the Amazon rainforest
Holistic education for a resilient future: An integrated biomimetic approach for architectural pedagogy
Get PDFThe pressing need to address climate change and environmentally related challenges highlights the importance of reimagining educational approaches to equip students with the skills required for innovation and sustainability. This study proposes a novel holistic pedagogic framework for architectural education that integrates biomimicry, systems thinking, and Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy to advance innovation, sustainability, and transformative learning. Developed through a triangulated methodological approach—combining reflective practitioner inquiry, design-based research, and conceptual model development—the framework draws from multiple theoretical perspectives to create a cognitively structured, interdisciplinary, and ecologically grounded educational model. Bloom’s Taxonomy provides a scaffold for learning progression, while the Function–Structure–Behavior (FSB) schema enhances the establishment of cross-disciplinary bridges to enable students to address complex design challenges. The framework is informed by insights from the literature and patterns observed in bio-inspired studios, student projects, and interdisciplinary workshops. These examples highlight how the approach supports systems thinking, ecological literacy, and ethical decision-making through iterative, experiential, and metacognitive learning. Rather than offering a fixed intervention, the framework is presented as a flexible, adaptable model that aligns learning outcomes with real-world complexity. It enables learners to navigate interdisciplinary knowledge, reflect critically on design processes and co-create regenerative solutions. By positioning nature as mentor, model, and measure, this pedagogic framework reimagines architectural education as a catalyst for sustainability and systemic change in the built environment
Prehospital critical care dispatch: A scoping review (PHASE)
Get PDFPrehospital critical care (PHCC) dispatch is a vital component of emergency medical services, aiming to allocate specialised resources for critically ill or injured patients in out-of-hospital settings. This scoping review examines the existing evidence on optimising PHCC dispatch, identifies research gaps, and highlights priorities for future investigation
Proximity-centred accessibility – A conceptual debate involving planning practitioners worldwide
Get PDFIn recent years, the concept of proximity has garnered increasing attention in both transportation research and practice, albeit under various terms and interpretations. Among these, the concept of the 15-minute city has catalysed attention in planning practice, with recent evolution to the x-minute city and city of proximities. In research, proximity-centred accessibility has been offered as an umbrella term to express the ability to reach activities and destinations at short distances. Regardless of the terminology used, the essence of proximity lies in the ease with which one can access desired activities and destinations within reasonable travel times, independent of speed-enhancing transport modes most notably through walking.This research investigates the nuanced meanings ascribed to proximity-centred accessibility by planning practitioners globally, spanning diverse regional and local contexts. For this, we used an online survey, disseminated among over 9000 practitioners from 22 countries across 5 continents, which generated over 1300 responses. The survey explored the preferred terms for proximity-centred accessibility and their definitions, specifically emphasizing time and distance thresholds and the identification of relevant activities. By juxtaposing our findings with an earlier survey of accessibility researchers, this study also contributes to the groundwork for a conceptual framework for proximity-centred accessibility.Our findings affirm a relatively consistent interpretation of proximity among global planning practitioners, predominantly extending up to 1600 m, in accordance with earlier results for accessibility researchers. Despite some relevant dissimilarities among practitioners from megacities compared to their smaller city counterparts, or in specific countries (most notably the Netherlands), the distance that is considered proximate is the attribute that generates the most consistent results across different contexts. Also consistent was the relevance of short distances (up to 15 min walking) for activities such as primary and pre-primary schools, playgrounds, parks, food shopping, and pharmacies, reinforcing the importance of proximity to basic and caregiving activities. No term was found to be consistently meaningful across different contexts, although terms like local and neighbourhood accessibility and walking/pedestrian, or cycling accessibility, show higher preference in the global sample
Personal relative deprivation and locus of control
Get PDFObjective: We investigated the relationship between personal relative deprivation (PRD)—resentment from the belief that one is worse off than people who are similar to oneself—and locus of control. Background: Research has yet to comprehensively investigate whether PRD is associated with a tendency to favor external (vs.internal) explanations for self- and other-relevant outcomes. Method: Eight studies (Ntotal = 6729) employed cross-sectional, experimental, and (micro)longitudinal designs and used established trait and state measures of PRD and loci of control. Results: Participants higher in PRD adopted more external (vs. internal) explanations for others' outcomes while controlling for socio-demographics (e.g., socioeconomic status; Studies 1–4). This relationship was mediated by a lowered sense of personal control (Study 1) and evident in a cross-national sample of participants in Asia (Study 2). PRD is more robustly associated with external than internal explanations for self and other-relevant outcomes (Studies 5–8), and within-person changes in PRD are positively associated with within-person changes in external explanations (month-to-month and day-to-day; Studies 7–8).Conclusions: PRD is positively associated with external locus of control independent of socioeconomic status, within and be-tween people, and across cultures. This research highlights the implications of PRD for people's construal of the causal forces that govern their lives
Analyzing the force drivers and trends of energy consumption in the non-energy industrial sector: A comprehensive exploration
No full textAlgeria's energy consumption reached 67.2 million tons of oil equivalent, with a 1144.4 % increase in 1976. To fight climate change, Algeria's economic growth will depend on the growth of green energy by minimizing fossil fuel consumption. This research provides a detailed decomposition analysis to explore energy consumption in Algeria's non-energy subsectors (i.e., food and drink products, iron/steel, mechanical, electronic/electric equipment, textile/clothing, leather, and construction materials) that contribute 24.36 % of the Algerian economy. The Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) method is used to determine the change factors of energy consumption from 2002 to 2021. The LMDI method identifies structural, energy intensity, and activity effects that drive total energy consumption change using the additive factor decomposition approach to quantify the absolute variations in energy consumption and uses multiplicative factor decomposition analysis to assess relative variations. The commercial or manufacturing activity was found to be the primary energy consumption increasing factor, with the “construction materials” industry found to be the most intensive non-energy industry, followed by other non-energy subsectors, with a total energy consumption change of 149 % and 125 %, respectively. The results indicate it is crucial to establish an energy reduction policy, particularly in the energy-intensive subsectors. This study provides meaningful recommendations for Algerian policymakers to develop sustainable energy strategies for the country to reach green energy targets
Co-creating water knowledge: A community perspective
No full textNavigating the complexities of global and local water resources challenges requires collaboration and mutual learning among diverse knowledge systems and disciplines. However, Western philosophical approaches to generating knowledge have prevailed in water management and hydrology, often overlooking community priorities, practices and perspectives, and power asymmetries - including gender inequalities, racism, and colonial injustices. In this perspective paper, we explore the co-creation of water knowledge (CCWK) concept to value multiple and diverse forms of knowledge. We identify four overarching principles (inclusivity, openness, legitimacy, and actionability), highlighting the importance of establishing relationships and collaborative leadership, adopting key tools and techniques, and integrating knowledge for water resources management. Furthermore, we argue that prioritizing epistemic justice is essential for effective CCWK. To address these, we advocate for more interdisciplinary and reflexive research practices that challenge and disrupt Western scientific traditions shaped by functionalist and colonial legacies
Impact of government policy on international students; Higher education insolvency protections; Ramifications of institutional insolvency & regional impact - Written evidence submitted to education committee
No full textThis written evidence submitted to Education Committee (UK Parliament) highlight the impact of government policy on international students; higher education insolvency protections; ramifications of institutional insolvency and regional impact. The report cover important aspects of;1. Impact of Government Policy on International Students2. Higher Education Insolvency Protections3. Ramifications of Institutional Insolvency & Regional ImpactThe report conclude that the current policy trajectory—particularly restrictions on international students—risks destabilising the financial foundations of the UK higher education sector. Coupled with an untested insolvency regime and insufficient safeguards, these developments could lead to serious institutional failures, with dire consequences for students, staff, and regional communities.A new policy framework is needed—one that recognises universities as civic assets, not merely market actors; that values international students as partners, not liabilities; and that promotes sustainability, equity, and public good over short-term fiscal restraint