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Building and boosting capitals for health care access: a qualitative study of homeless health peer advocacy in London, UK
Get PDFPeer support is widely promoted as enabling health care access with people experiencing homelessness, including through enabling independence, empowering individuals and managing stigma. However, there is little understanding of these processes, including how they relate to the wide range of potential activities involved in peer support. We studied peer support within a peer advocacy service at a charity run by and for people experiencing homelessness in London, UK. We report analysis from a sub-set of qualitative interviews and focus groups gathered for a qualitative study of peer advocacy. We include interviews that offered insight to particular cases of peer advocacy. These interviews came from 23 clients of the service, 6 peer advocates, 1 staff member and 2 stakeholders. We drew on Bourdieu's theory of capitals to develop a typology of different ways peer support works. The findings focus on reporting three types of experiences: where peer support builds cultural health capital amongst service clients, boosts cultural health capital, social and economic capital, and third, where boosting social and economic capital are priorities. The discussion considers how the analysis helps conceptualise processes of peer support with respect to empowerment, independence and stigma management
Decentring intercultural competence frameworks in the ecological turn
Get PDFThis paper considers the possibilities for re-thinking current intercultural communication frameworks for human-more than human relationships. Drawing on stories of nature-connection for wellbeing gathered from several diverse communities in a multicultural region of the UK, the article uses ethnographically-informed mediated discourse analysis to reflect on how we can learn from these stories a) as stories in themselves, b) in relation to the sophisticated work from across the globe on human-nature relationships, c) the implications for decentring the human in Intercultural Communication Studies; and d) the possibilities for re-designing the notion (and frameworks) of intercultural competence under an ecological turn
Environmental challenges in electrification: Traffic-induced non-exhaust PM2.5 emissions in Cangzhou, China
Get PDFNon-exhaust PM2.5 emissions are often overlooked despite their increasingly significant contribution. Including non-exhaust emissions to establish a complete road emissions inventory is critical for formulating effective control strategies and reducing health risks especially during the fleet electrification process. This study developed a PM2.5 emission estimation framework incorporating exhaust and non-exhaust sources, validated by roadside PM2.5 concentrations from a mobile cruise sensing system in Cangzhou, China. The results found that traffic-related PM2.5 concentrations contributing to roadside environments exhibit hourly variations, with an average proportion of 44.05 %. Analysis of peak-hour PM2.5 emissions revealed the non-exhaust sources dominate (91.38 %). Under scenarios with 35 %, 50 %, 75 %, and 100 % electrification rates, PM2.5 emissions will decrease by 6.96 %, 11.01 %, 17.77 %, and 24.53 %, respectively, compared to the baseline. This study highlights that fleet electrification will not completely eliminate PM2.5 emissions, and helps identify priorities and develop targeted emission control policies for medium-sized populous cities in developing countries
Outdoor lighting and active travel: a high-resolution analysis using satellite imagery and Strava data in Glasgow
Get PDFIntroduction:
The benefits of active travel are well-established. While previous research has explored how built environment factors (such as population density, accessibility, land use, and infrastructure) influence active travel, micro-scale features like outdoor lighting have received less attention. This study examines associations between outdoor lighting levels and active travel in Glasgow, accounting for broader contextual factors and distinguishing between daylight and dark conditions.
Methods:
We used Strava data, satellite-derived outdoor lighting imagery, and other spatial datasets aggregated to small-area zones in Glasgow. Bayesian spatial models (Besag–York–Mollié) were fitted to estimate associations between contextual variables and distances travelled on foot, by bike, and by both modes combined, separately for daylight and dark hours.
Results:
Outdoor lighting levels derived from night-time satellite imagery were positively associated with walking, cycling, and overall active-travel distances during both light conditions (daylight and dark). These associations were stronger during dark hours, particularly for cycling. Several contextual relationships also varied by light condition: industrial density was positively associated with cycling only during daylight, while quietness and gradient showed stronger associations during daylight. Population and income deprivation were negatively associated across all modes under both light conditions.
Conclusions:
Our findings underscore the potential relevance of lighting in shaping active travel patterns after dark, particularly for cycling. They also highlight the need for future research that considers light conditions and time of day in environmental studies of mobility, as well as across broader contexts, specific locations, and diverse population groups – to better inform equitable and effective active travel policy
The scientific works of professor Keith Attenborough
Get PDFProf. Attenborough’s distinguished career spans over five decades during which he has made seminal contributions to the field of physical acoustics. His extensive research encompasses acoustic propagation in and above porous media, acoustic penetration into rigid frame and poro-elastic materials, and environmental noise control. This article celebrates his work highlighting its foundational basis, scientific impact, and practical applications
The impact of dilution air strategy on n-heptane turbulent swirl spray flames
Get PDFThis paper investigates the impact of dilution air addition on the stability and flame structure of n-heptane turbulent swirl spray flames. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) was used to study the flow fields with and without dilution air. OH Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (OH-PLIF) measurements were utilized to assess the impact of dilution air addition on flame structure, local extinction, and lift-off. Experimental results were collected at different flow conditions including quenching point (global blow-off), near blow-off, and stable conditions. 1D non-premixed laminar counter-flow flame simulations were also conducted to gain preliminary understanding of the flame structure behaviour and temperature when adding more air with hot products. The numerical results showed that adding 10 % more air on the oxidiser side increased the peak values of the temperature, heat release rate (HRR) and OH mole fraction, with the maximum flame temperature rising by approximately 3.9 %. The flame’s stability limit increased when adding dilution air, and a 2 % addition made the flame persist longer. The flame restabilized with the addition of 5 % dilution air at the blow-off co-flow conditions of the non-diluted flames. OH* chemiluminescence results showed that the addition of dilution air up to 10 % of the co-flow increased the heat release rate by as much as 247 %, indicating a strong enhancement in flame intensity and reaction zone activity. The addition of dilution showed the droplets to spread more widely into the inner recirculation zone (IRZ). PIV showed a clear displacement of the vortex inwards and upwards when adding dilution air, with increased turbulence intensity aligned with shear layers. Without dilution air, the OH flame sheet appeared continuous, while with dilution air, it appeared to be wrinkled, cloud-shaped, and distributed. Statistical analysis of the OH-PLIF results showed that adding 5 % dilution air increased local extinction events by up to 7.5 %, primarily due to the intense aerodynamic strain imposed on the flame front under highly turbulent conditions. OH-PLIF results showed that the addition of dilution air increases the relative OH intensity in the outer flame branch (OFB) at the same horizontal plane downstream. The novel findings on extended operation condition effect by adding dilution air provide the first evidence of enhanced flame stabilization towards lean combustion strategy
Mind the gap:Barriers to high-quality music provision in English special schools
Get PDFWhilst music education is recognised as a fundamental right for all children in England, pupils with learning disabilities in special schools face persistent barriers in accessing high-quality musical opportunities. This study provides a post- pandemic examination of music provision in special schools in England, updating earlier research while offering new insights into why implementation challenges persist despite policy commitments to inclusion. The lived experiences of music provision for pupils with learning disabilities were examined through interviews with 21 special school educators across three key groups (generalist teachers, music curriculum leads and visiting music specialists). Two key barrier types emerged: resource challenges (budget constraints, limited resources and staffing limitations) and staff-related factors (narrow ideas about music, low confidence and gaps in specialised knowledge). Using ecological systems theory, how these barriers operate across multiple levels—from individual teacher confidence to national funding decisions—was analysed, revealing interconnected patterns resistant to simple solutions. The findings demonstrate how seemingly individual barriers are in fact products of broader systemic issues that reflect fundamental mismatches between policy intentions and special school realities. Multi-level intervention strategies are proposed that focus on leveraging generalist teachers' existing pedagogical strengths, reframing how music is conceptualised, and reconsidering how policies are framed
The feasibility of implementing a hospital deprescribing behaviour change intervention and undertaking trial processes: a mixed methods evaluation
Get PDFBACKGROUND: CompreHensive geriAtRician-led MEdication Review (CHARMER) is a behaviour change intervention designed to address the determinants of geriatricians and pharmacists deprescribing in hospital. CHARMER comprises a deprescribing action plan, deprescribing briefings, videos of successful deprescribing consultations, deprescribing case studies workshop and a deprescribing performance dashboard. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of undertaking a CHARMER definitive trial and inform primary outcome measure selection (90-day hospital readmission or patient quality of life (QoL)).
METHODS: A two-arm purposive allocation feasibility study was undertaken in four hospitals (three intervention, one control). Intervention fidelity and acceptability, outcome data completeness and quality were evaluated alongside acceptability of data collection methods. The process evaluation explored these via interviews with staff and patients. Data were used to inform primary outcome measure selection.
RESULTS: Eighteen geriatricians and pharmacists received the CHARMER intervention and 318 patients admitted to study wards were enrolled. 90-day hospital readmission data were available for 290 (91.2 %) patients. Sixty-six (20.8 %) were approached for consent to complete QoL measures; 25 (37.9 %) consented and 13 (52 %) completed at baseline and 90-day follow up. All intervention components were implemented with acceptable fidelity; hospitals were unfamiliar with implementing action plans and unclear who should be involved with implementing the dashboard, leading to delays.
CONCLUSIONS: The CHARMER intervention is feasible to implement and given the low patient consent rate, 90-day readmission rate is the most appropriate primary outcome measure. Minor refinements to guidance will facilitate hospitals to undertake activities for implementation that are unfamiliar.
CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered on ISRCTN (ISRCTN11899506)
Sequins, satin, feathers and fur – collaborative costume and the ageing burlesque body
Get PDFThis article explores the efficacy of costume within the context of new or neo-burlesque performance and examines what costume ‘does’ on stage for older performers. It brings together scholarship on burlesque performance and female ageing and introduces a third theoretical dimension, that of critical costume. The article investigates the role costume plays in burlesque performances and the extent to which it partners with the bodies of older performers both during the creative process and on stage. Adopting object-oriented storytelling as methodology, interviews with professional and semi-professional performers reveal how the aesthetic, technical and material qualities of burlesque costumes act as a vehicle for the performance of pleasure and provide a platform for flamboyant aging. By examining the materiality and performative potential of burlesque costumes, this article offers insights into the transformative power of costume in the context of creative ageing and wellbeing. Drawing on testimony from performers, burlesque costuming is conceptualised as an active collaborator which is capable of producing alternative narratives around the representation of ageing, female bodies
Genetically determined body mass index is associated with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in polygenic and Mendelian randomization analyses
Get PDFObesity has been associated with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), but the evidence is inconclusive. We examined the association between genetically determined adiposity and four common NHL subtypes: diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), follicular lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and marginal zone lymphoma, using eight genome-wide association studies of European ancestry (N = 10,629 cases, 9505 controls) and constructing polygenic scores for body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI (WHRadjBMI). Higher genetically determined BMI was associated with an increased risk of DLBCL [odds ratio (OR) per standard deviation (SD) = 1.18, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.05–1.33, p =.005]. This finding was consistent with Mendelian randomization analyses, which demonstrated a similar increased risk of DLBCL with higher genetically determined BMI (ORper SD = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.02–1.23, p =.03). No significant associations were observed with other NHL subtypes. Our study demonstrates a positive link between a genetically determined BMI and an increased risk of DLBCL, providing additional support for increased adiposity as a risk factor for DLBCL
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