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Paramedics as researchers: A systematic review of paramedic perspectives of engaging in research activity from training to practice
No full textBackground: The need for a stronger evidence-base in paramedicine has precipitated a rapid development of pre-hospital research agendas. Paramedics are increasingly involved in research, leading to changes in their role. Yet the integration of research responsibilities has proven to be challenging, resulting in varying attitudes and levels of engagement.
Objective: This systematic review aimed to explore paramedics’ views and experiences of research as researchers during training and within practice
Methods: A systematic search was undertaken across 6 databases. Qualitative empirical peer-reviewed articles which discussed paramedic perspectives on engaging with research activity were included. Of 10,594 articles initially identified, 11 were included in the final synthesis following quality appraisal. Data were extracted and subjected to narrative synthesis
Results: Four themes were identified: motivation to engage, moral dilemmas, structural issues within the profession, and reflections on trial involvement. Attitudes towards research, understanding of related concepts, and the drive for patient benefit were interwoven core issues
Conclusion: Research was highly valued when links to patient benefit were obvious, however, this review highlighted some cultural resistance to research, particularly regarding informed consent and changes to standard practice. Paramedic research methods training should provide structured opportunities to explore concerns and emphasize the role of research in developing a high-quality evidence base to underpin safe practice. Currently there is inadequate organisational support for paramedics to engage effectively in research activity, with minimal allocations of time, training, and remuneration. Without properly integrating research activity into the paramedic role, their capacity to engage with research activity is limited
Why Do Female Lead Auditors Charge a Fee Premium? Evidence from the UK Audit Market
No full textExisting research documents a fee premium for female partner led audits (Ittonen & Peni, 2012; Hardies et al., 2015; Burke et al., 2019; Lee et al., 2019; Hardies et al., 2021). We take this work forward by investigating a possible justification for the observed premium by examining how auditor gender is related to audit report lag and whether the female partner audit fee premium is driven by audit report lag. We find that firms audited by a female lead auditor have a significantly shorter audit report lag but pay a significantly higher audit fee. In further analysis, we find that the fee premium for a female partner led audits is higher for clients receiving a more timely audit opinion. Our findings are consistent with female lead auditors delivering more timely audits and audit clients being prepared to pay a premium for such timeliness. Our study extends our understanding of the importance of gender in the auditing process and the value clients see in audits led by female auditors. Given the relatively low proportion of female lead auditors, our findings should also encourage audit firms to appreciate the economic value of female lead auditors and to actively facilitate their progression to senior roles
Privilege and Practice—Challenges for Doctoral Education in Art and Design
No full textIncreasingly, doctoral education is being challenged to reflect and act on issues of access and equity. I argue that in art and design the expanding doctoral expectations and emphasis on doctoral community impact the multiple and intersectional concerns around diversity, equity and belonging that urgently need to be acknowledged and addressed. The benefits of community are widely acknowledged in the literature on doctoral education, and it is increasingly recognised that there are specific nuances to the needs of practice research doctoral communities. Prompted by insights from interviews with art and design doctoral researchers, I examine available data on participation in doctoral research in art and design in the United Kingdom in conjunction with literature on doctoral education and practice research. My aim is to highlight concerns relating to privilege and belonging in art and design doctorates that should make us increasingly uncomfortable. I believe that as a community art and design in higher education urgently needs to actively consider these issues. As well as indicating the necessity for further research, I argue that conversations are needed to devise and advocate for more inclusive and culturally responsive doctoral education specific to the needs of practice research in art and design
The UK economy on a knife edge as we enter election year
No full textEarly January 2024, election year, and the news is dominated by air strikes in Yemen as maritime trade is being disrupted, the Post office scandal and HS2 costs continuing to rise. Meanwhile, even the good news about inflation is clouding over despite record drops in grocery price inflation, recruitment demand apparently slowing down and weak retail volumes in December and over Christmas according to the British Retail Consortiumi(BRC). It is true that in Europe, annual inflation moved up to 2.9% in December from 2.4% the previous month and in the US from 3.1% to 3.4%ii. The result has been a revision of views on when interest rates are likely to start coming down with many commentators now suggesting that it won’t happen until much later in the year- possibly not until the last quarter of 2024
Troubled Waters….
No full textUnless the Conservatives under Rishi Sunak decide to go ‘really long’ by waiting until the end January 2025, the next general election will take place this year
Does the perceived deterioration in public services matter in an election year?
No full textHow important will the perceived deterioration of public services be in determining the next election result, due sometime in 2024? You don’t have to look far- bankrupt councils, NHS waiting lists, difficulty with seeing a GP, worsening dental provision, lack of trains, crumbling schools , a postal service hit by scandals while branches are closing, cuts in refuge collections, potholes, weakening social support, worsening water quality, delays in the courts , inadequate defence capability at a time of worsening geopolitical tensions. cuts in defence. As I type this, the list is threatening to get longer and longer and my blog is in danger of running out of word space prematurely, but areas which are ostensibly run by the private sector though subject to regulatory oversight while providing services to the public are also struggling. This includes the privatised Royal Mail, seemingly unable to continue providing universal 6 day letter delivery; worsening water quality disappearing bank branches and ATMs from our high streets . I could go on
Assessing Country Risk in the Stock Market and Economic Growth Nexus: Fresh Insights from Bootstrap Panel Causality
No full textInvestigating the nexus between the stock market and the real economy is vital, as financial markets can play a critical role in economic growth. However, the country's risk factors (political, economic and financial) influence economic growth and financial markets’ nexus. This study examines the role of stock market development and country risk (political, economic and financial) on economic growth, and the moderating influence of country risk in the stock market and economic growth nexus in BRICS economies (except Russia) over the period of 2000 to 2020. The study employed various latest econometrics techniques, including Covariate Augmented Dickey-Fuller (CADF) for identifying unit root problem, Westerlund (2007) test for examining long-run relationship, Cross-sectional auto-distributive lag (CS-ARDL) for estimating long-run relationship, and finally, Konya (2006) for identifying the causal relationship among the variables. The study explored that financial risk, economic risk and political risk is negatively associated with economic growth. However, stock market does not play a significant role in economic growth in this case. The study highlighted a bi-directional causality between economic growth and stock market development. The study also suggests a unidirectional causality from political, economic and financial risk towards economic growth. Finally, the study suggests some policy recommendations based on the empirical results
Failure pressure prediction of high-strength steel pipe bend considering pipe and corrosion geometry
No full textThis study examines the influence of pipe bend geometry and corrosion geometry on the failure pressure of high-strength steel pipe bends subjected to internal pressure and axial compressive stress. Finite element analysis determines the impact of bend angle, bending radius, defect depth, defect length, defect spacing, and axial compressive stress on failure pressures. The findings reveal that increasing the bend angle reduces failure pressures significantly, with corrosion defects exacerbating this effect. Increased bending radius increases normalized failure pressure from 0.88 to 0.91 for intrados defects and decreases it from 0.98 to 0.93 for extrados defects. Additionally, single defects cause a slight 2.5–3.0% reduction in normalized failure pressure, while longitudinally and circumferentially aligned defects result in a 13–15% decrease in normalized failure pressure. Defect depth and length also significantly influence the failure pressure, particularly for deeper and longer defects (up to 48.2%). Furthermore, an empirical equation for predicting failure pressures in corroded pipe bends with high accuracy (R2 = 0.99) is developed based on Artificial Neural Network. This enhances pipeline integrity assessment and design practices
A political budget- but will it work?
No full textThe budget, possibly the last one before the forthcoming general election later this year was duly delivered on March 6. Much was pre- tried and/or pre- leaked. The expected 2p cut in the rate of national insurance contributions (NIC), adding to the 2% cut in the autumn statement, duly came. The two cuts together are estimated to boost real disposable incomes by some £900 this coming financial year for payroll employees, and by some £600 for the self-employed -who pay less anyway. However, because of the continued freezing of personal allowances the Resolution Foundation is calculating that by the time of the general election at the end of 2024, household real disposable incomes will be lower than they were at the time of the 2019 elections