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Seasonal Dynamics of Plastic Waste Generation and the South-West Monsoon’s Effect on the Transport of Plastic Debris in Riverine Systems: A Case Study at North Dikkowita Fishery Harbour, Sri Lanka
No full textPlastic debris contributes to marine pollution, with a portion transported from land via rivers. Understanding seasonal variations and tracking the movement of plastics are crucial for effective management. Sri Lanka lacks comprehensive studies on this issue due to limited resources. We conducted a year-long study (October 2022-September 2023) at North Dikkowita Fishery Harbour (NDFH). Macroplastic debris (>2.5 cm) was collected from twelve 10 × 1 m2 points at the land–water interface, following the weekly accumulation study method. To analyse seasonal dynamics, data were categorized into distinct periods: October–November (Second Inter-monsoon), December-February (North-East monsoon), March–April (First Inter-monsoon), and May–September (South-West monsoon; SWM). The One-way ANOVA test revealed a non-significant seasonal difference (P = 0.511). Despite the lack of notable seasonal changes by count, 76% (n = 23) of the fishermen were aware of such seasonal changes. Also, observations were made from the collection of identifiable plastic packaging waste. This was important as the packaging (ice packets a dairy production brand) was originated from an industry unit which exclusively distributed these products within a limited area in the Kegalle district. Two packets collected on June 14, 2023, were manufactured on December 20, 2021, and April 20, 2021, while one collected on June 2, 2023, was manufactured in 2022. This could be linked to the SWM activation. These packets travelled ~ 63 km along the Kelani River to NDFH within 1–2 years. The SWM is the primary weather source for the Kelani River basin and the primary ocean current through Dikkowita. During the dry season, the river’s flow decreases to 20–25 m3/s, but during monsoons, it reaches 800–1,500 m3/s, serving as a force for flushing plastic debris. Previous studies suggest the island deflects the eastward-flowing SWM surface current southward, creating an oppositely directed current at Dikkowita. Further recommended studies should utilize tagging with a larger sample size to precisely study debris movement patterns
Detecting and Clearing Explosive Devices (ladmines/UXO/IDE) Using Small-Scale Customised Drone - Part II
Get PDFIn this study, a small-scale customised drone – the so-called Maggy – was developed to simplify and automate the procedures of cleaning explosive devices. Readers may recall that we published the first part of the paper in the February issue. We present here the concluding part. Maggy was instrumented with innovative intelligent automated techniques and magnetometer sensor technologies. Maggy’s performance was assessed in field tests conducted in Latvia and the United Kingdom. The outcomes, obtained in the open-air minefields and the benchmark assessments, verify the viability of the technologies, methods, and approaches integrated into Maggy for the efficient and economical detection of legacy landmines and IDE/UXO. This research provides the related research community with fundamental design and implementation parameters (e.g. flight speed, flight altitude) in building and using magnetometer-integrated Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). The improved versions of the developed easy-to-use compact technology are aimed to be deployed by humanitarian demining teams to expedite their clearing operations safely and efficiently
Experiences of support to return to work after stroke: longitudinal case studies from RETAKE trial
Get PDFBackground: Returning to work after stroke has physical, psychological and financial benefits for stroke survivors. However, global evidence estimates return-to-work rates 1 year post stroke at < 50%. Although its importance is acknowledged by policy-makers and healthcare providers, vocational rehabilitation is not always part of National Health Service usual care post stroke. Currently, there is limited evidence of the effectiveness of return-to-work support interventions. RETurn to work After stroKE was a multicentre individually randomised controlled pragmatic trial, with embedded process and health economic evaluations. RETurn to work After stroKE aimed to establish whether Early Stroke Specialist Vocational Rehabilitation plus usual care improves the likelihood of return to work at 12 months post stroke compared to usual care alone. As part of an embedded process evaluation, longitudinal case studies enabled exploration of participants’ experiences of support to return to work in the trial.
Objectives: This article aims to understand participants’ experiences of being supported to return to work and explores the social and structural factors which support, or act as barriers to, implementation of the Early Stroke Specialist Vocational Rehabilitation intervention.
Method: A longitudinal case-study approach was used to compare experiences of post-stroke return-to-work support received over 12 months by 15 participants who received the Early Stroke Specialist Vocational Rehabilitation intervention plus usual care, and 11 participants who received usual care only. Data were gathered at three time points using follow-up questionnaires, health records, intervention delivery records and semistructured interviews with participants and seven nominated informal carers. Interviews were also conducted with 1 employer and 11 occupational therapists delivering the intervention.
Setting: Sixteen National Health Service sites across England and Wales.
Findings: In the intervention arm, stroke survivors, carers and employers reported benefits from information and support from the treating occupational therapist to facilitate acceptance of, and adaptation to, post-stroke abilities. Participants also valued occupational therapists’ provision of sustained and tailored vocational rehabilitation, co-ordinating their care and advocating for them in return-to-work discussions with their employers. Those unable to return to their previous employment were supported to consider alternative options. In contrast, participants who received usual care only reported feeling abandoned when community rehabilitation support ended, typically after 2–8 weeks. Usual care largely focused on restoring physical function, leaving these participants struggling to find return-to-work information, advice and support. Longitudinal case studies enabled psychosocial and environmental factors impacting on participants’ return-to-work experiences to be considered.
Limitations: Recruitment to the process evaluation was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It proved difficult to recruit employers for interview, and fewer women participated in the case studies (21 men, 5 women). Direct observation of intervention delivery could not be carried out as planned due to pandemic restrictions on access to clinical areas.
Conclusions: These case studies highlighted self-reported differences between recipients of the Early Stroke Specialist Vocational Rehabilitation intervention plus usual care and participants allocated to usual care only. Aspects perceived as important in underpinning the differences in support included the length of Early Stroke Specialist Vocational Rehabilitation intervention, occupational therapist advocacy, employer liaison and ongoing workplace monitoring. Provision of these core components as part of post-stroke services may support and help to sustain return to work, with associated benefits for stroke survivors and wider society.
Funding: This article presents independent research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme as award number 15/130/11.A plain language summary of this research article is available on the NIHR Journals Library Website https://doi.org/10.3310/WRKS966
Sustainability Issues in the Cocoa and Chocolate Industry: Building a Promising Future for a Beleaguered Industry
No full textThe chapter explores the problems that are currently plaguing the cocoa and chocolate industry. Cocoa prices have more than doubled recently, scaling numerous all-time highs. Soaring cocoa prices, as a result of inadequate supplies, have sent the industry into turmoil, with some chocolate manufacturers being driven to their wits’ end. The crisis has been triggered by low yields, especially from West Africa, where the bulk of cocoa is grown. A combination of factors including poor weather that diminished the harvest, aging cocoa trees producing fewer, less healthy pods, market dynamics heavily influenced by speculators and other industry-specific issues are leading to severe challenges within the industry, at the same time as demand for cocoa continues to grow. The chapter whilst shoring up the problems in the industry also proffers a means by which solutions could be found to the myriad of issues still plaguing it. It calls on industry stakeholders to pivot towards long-term sustainability and resilience, whilst urging them to act together to reverse the human and environmental failings of the industry
Revisiting the core principles of physical rehabilitation after stroke: Recapping the guidelines and underlining the importance of assessment
Get PDFPerceptions of science, science communication, and climate change attitudes in 68 countries – the TISP dataset
Get PDFScience is integral to society because it can inform individual, government, corporate, and civil society decision-making on issues such as public health, new technologies or climate change. Yet, public distrust and populist sentiment challenge the relationship between science and society. To help researchers analyse the science-society nexus across different geographical and cultural contexts, we undertook a cross-sectional population survey resulting in a dataset of 71,922 participants in 68 countries. The data were collected between November 2022 and August 2023 as part of the global Many Labs study “Trust in Science and Science-Related Populism” (TISP). The questionnaire contained comprehensive measures for individuals’ trust in scientists, science-related populist attitudes, perceptions of the role of science in society, science media use and communication behaviour, attitudes to climate change and support for environmental policies, personality traits, political and religious views and demographic characteristics. Here, we describe the dataset, survey materials and psychometric properties of key variables. We encourage researchers to use this unique dataset for global comparative analyses on public perceptions of science and its role in society and policy-making
Perception of the General Population About Sexual Activities in Later Life: A Cross-Cultural Perspective
Get PDFBackground: Cultural and societal norms could influence older age sexuality as societal sexual attitudes are shown to set the stage for how one adjusts to biological changes. Therefore, understanding cultural diversity and its association with public perception of sexuality in later life is warranted. Objectives: To explore the public’s perception of sexual activities in later life through a cross-cultural perspective to comparatively identify the elements of the people’s culture that are most associated with how the public views sex in later life. Materials and Methods: This was comparative research utilizing a cross-sectional online survey among the general population of Nigeria 79 (73.8%) and India 28 (26.1%) adults aged 18 years and above (n = 107; female = 54.2%). Data for the study were collected using an adapted questionnaire to elicit responses on the sociodemography of respondents and their perception of appropriateness, emotions, reactions, and thoughts about sexual activities among older people. Results: The findings consistently showed that what attitudes and perceptions the public/individuals have is a function of their prevailing culture as their ethnicity, nationality, and religious status mostly showed statistically significant relationships with their attitudes and perceptions (P < 0.05) showing the cultural sensitivity of human sexuality especially for older persons that are unmarried, widowed, and divorced. Conclusion: This study aligns with recent literature on the beneficial role of later-life sexuality and hereby creates awareness of the positive aspects of sexuality in later life and calls for social and medical support for the aged to access and receive sexual relations all through their later life
Exploring variation in the six-month review for stroke survivors: a national survey of current practice in England
Get PDFBackground: The Six-Month Review (6MR) was introduced in the United Kingdom to provide a holistic, systematic review of the ongoing needs faced by stroke survivors. However, a theoretical underpinning regarding how it should work is lacking, potentially leading to wide variation in service provision. This study aimed to understand the current degree of variation in 6MR delivery across England and explore the potential driving factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted via an online survey distributed to 6MR services within England. Data were collected over 12 weeks in 2023. Descriptive statistics were used to demonstrate the degree of variation in service delivery, and associations were explored between features of the 6MR service and contextual factors. Results: Ninety-two responses were received, representing approximately 53% of 6MR services in England. Wide variation was observed in relation to service structure, content and processes, and in how outcomes, experience and effectiveness are measured. A number of significant associations were observed between features of the 6MR and contextual factors, most commonly, in relation to the provider organisation. Conclusions: This study highlights the degree of variation in 6MR delivery across England. The provider organisation may be a driving factor for this variation that warrants further investigation. Future research should focus on understanding how, and under what circumstances, the 6MR works so that its effectiveness can be evaluated and best practice established
'Boats need Water and Tigers need Jungle' - Locally Constructed Corporate Social Responsibility in Thailand
Get PDFPurpose – This paper explores corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Thailand and analyses how CSR practice is informed by local values rather than merely driven by CSR practices designed in developed countries.
Design/methodology/approach – The analysis is based on a comparative series of interviews of Thai business leaders in 2009–10 and 2019–20 within the conceptual context of Thai CSR discourse/practice, especially Buddhist Economics.
Findings – This paper argues that CSR practice in Thailand is substantially informed by local socio-economic context, particularly Buddhist Economics, including the concepts of suffering (dukkha), the Eightfold Path of the Middle Way, and gifting and reciprocal exchange.
Research limitations/implications – Local contexts are crucial not only for understanding local models of CSR but also for challenging what has been perceived as an imperialistic neo-liberal agenda in western-originating CSR. Practical implications – The wider practical implications of this paper are that, like Thailand, CSR practices in other developing economies and emerging markets (DEEMs) may also have their own distinctive ‘local’ origins, contexts and developments which need to be considered.
Social implications – The social implications of this paper are that local context is determinant in the development of CSR practice, especially in DEEMs.
Originality/value – This paper contributes to the CSR literature by highlighting the often-marginalised existence of local CSR context and practice in DEEMs and questions CSR based solely on western theorisations
Predictors of the Efficacy of Lymphedema Decongestive Therapy
Get PDFLymphedema is a chronic condition characterized by the accumulation of lymphatic fluid in the tissues, causing swelling primarily in the limbs, though other body parts can also be affected. It commonly develops after lymph node removal, or radiation therapy, or due to congenital lymphatic system defects. Effective management is essential due to its significant impact on physical function and quality of life. Complete Decongestive Therapy (CDT) is the primary treatment for lymphedema. This comprehensive approach combines manual lymphatic drainage (MLD), compression bandaging, skincare, and exercise. An early diagnosis and initiation of CDT are critical to preventing irreversible damage to the lymphatic system and worsening symptoms. Successful outcomes depend on timely treatment, patient adherence, and the consistent use of all CDT components, with compression therapy and exercise playing particularly vital roles. Recent research highlights how skin and fat tissue characteristics, such as increased skin thickness and adipose tissue accumulation, complicate lymphedema management, especially in advanced stages. In these cases, where fibrosis and fat deposition are more prominent, traditional CDT may need to be supplemented with advanced treatments like liposuction or enhanced compression techniques. This study explores the factors influencing the success of decongestive therapy, including the stage of lymphedema at the diagnosis, treatment protocols, and individual patient characteristics like skin and fat tissue properties