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Business education in First World War captivity: German officers as unrecognised pioneers
Get PDFFirst World War military prisoners devised a wide range of cultural, physical and educational activities within the camps in Britain. This article focuses on the business education courses at the Skipton German officers’ camp in 1918–19 and applies modern knowledge management (KM) concepts to recontextualise the camp as a zone of knowledge production and transfer, and to re-evaluate the knowledge acquired as a military resource. The circumstances unique to the Skipton camp, the skills and motivations of the participants, and the freedom permitted to them to organise their courses as they wished, gave rise to a pioneering business education programme. The purpose of the courses was not only to expand the formal knowledge base of the participants, but to convey future-orientation, sustain morale, inspire an outlook characterised as a global mindset, and reset their identity for civilian life. Scrutiny of the courses has revealed that their content, enhanced by interactive learning processes, constitutes a significant point of intersection between German traditions of business education and more recent trends in United States thinking and practice. In particular, the experimentation with the curriculum and use of case studies were elements ahead of their time compared with business programmes in Germany, but were in line with developments in the US
A model to estimate energy deposition within the geomagnetosphere using Dst as a proxy for the Akasofu ϵ parameter
No full textThis study compares the energy deposited into the geomagnetosphere by 14 co-rotating interaction regions (CIRs) and 14 interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs), selected from solar cycle 23, and covering a broad range of activity. The energy () is estimated using the Akasofu empirical coupling function and it was found that, on average, the ICMEs deposit about 15 times the energy contributed by the CIRs. The energy correlates very significantly with the peak (most negative) of the hourly geomagnetic index observed during each event (first order fit, = -0.94; second order fit, = -0.97). Two modifications to the Akasofu relation proposed by de Lucas et al. are then incorporated into the energy calculations: the first replaces the radius of the effective area for the dayside magnetopause with a value which is a function of the solar wind ram pressure, and the second takes into account the dynamic pressure of the solar wind itself. As a result, strengthens for the first order fit to -0.96, but weakens slightly for the second to -0.96, though all these correlations are highly significant. An empirical model is proposed of the form, for which regression equations, correlation coefficients, standard errors and uncertainties are provided for both first and second order fits. The model provides an estimate of the energy deposited into the magnetosphere by solar particle events, using ground-based measurements, without recourse to in-situ measurements of the solar wind which are prone to data gaps during very energetic events
Tumor-Induced Osteomalacia in a Patient with FGF23-amplified Lung Adenocarcinoma and FGF23-deleted Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Case Report
Get PDFTumor-induced osteomalacia (TIO) is a rare paraneoplastic syndrome characterized by ectopic fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23) production. We report a unique case of a 78-year-old female with refractory hypophosphatemia, ultimately diagnosed as TIO, in the context of two metastatic primary lung cancers: adenocarcinoma and small-cell lung carcinoma. Molecular analyses of tumor samples highlighted FGF23 amplification in one adenocarcinoma sample and FGF23 deletion in one small cell lung cancer sample, suggesting a potential link between tumor FGF23 molecular alterations and elevated serum FGF23 levels. This case underscores the complexity of diagnoses and management of TIO when associated with solid tumors and highlights the need for awareness of this condition to prevent diagnostic delays. Future research should explore the mechanisms linking FGF23 alterations and cancer progression and evaluate targeted therapies for TIO in the context of resistant metastatic cancers
Introduction
No full textMigration has existed for as long as humanity has and unquestionably shapes who we are. Nonetheless, the complexity of the two concepts that concern this study, identity and mobilities, is heightened by the lack of a universal definition of migrant and the prevalent negative discourse about migrant realities. This volume intends to disentangle these complexities
Developing an “Insider Language Index” as a Composite Measure to Detect Insider Threat
Get PDFOf all the issues that confront modern organisations, insider threat is one of the most challenging in terms of impact and mitigation. Typically, research has focused on defining what insider threat is and determining how such threats can be detected through technology. We suggest that technological approaches to insider-threat detection can be complemented through a greater focus on investigating the linguistic behaviours associated with insider activity. Research has highlighted that an individual’s use of language offers a potential means of identifying insiders. Using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count, this study analysed the language used by insiders and non-insiders during workplace interviews. Results revealed that, compared to non-insiders, insiders used significantly more words relating to cognitive processing, significantly more self-referential terms, and significantly more negative emotion words. Based on these findings, a generalisable Insider Language Index (ILI) was developed that has the potential to support insider detection in organisational contexts
Production of mortar with calcined alum sludge as partial cement replacement
Get PDFAlum sludge is a largely generated and disposed waste from water treatment plants. This study aimed to produce mortar using alum sludge calcined at different temperatures (600 – 900 ºC). After the optimal calcination temperature was selected, the calcined alum sludge was used to replace 5, 10, and 15 % of cement by mass in mortar. The performance of the mortars was evaluated based on the workability, compressive strength, flexural strength, porosity, and percentage of water absorption. Mortars with alum sludge calcined at 800 ºC had the highest strength as compared to the other temperatures. The mechanical strength of mortars reduced while the porosity and percentage of water absorbed increased with increasing calcined alum sludge content. Although replacing 5 % of cement with calcined alum sludge would reduce the mechanical strengths by 13 – 15 %, it was still acceptable as it had negligible influence on the porosity and water absorption value of the mortar. In short, the partial substitution of cement with calcined alum sludge should be limited within 5 % to maintain the performance of the mortar
Reducing frequent caller use of ambulance services: a review of effective strategies
No full textBackground: Frequent callers to have been identified as placing significant strain on ambulance services through decreased system efficiency and increased costs. Frequent callers often have interconnected complex physical, mental, and social needs, bringing them in to contact with ambulance services.
Aims: This review synthesised evidence on strategies to mitigate frequent caller impact on ambulance services while meeting callers’ person-centred needs.
Methods: Major databases were systematically searched for relevant studies and critically appraised. Main themes were analysed and reported on.
Findings: Preliminary evidence indicates mass distribution letters, case management, and caller management systems may reduce frequent caller impact. Clear definitions and identification systems are essential for ambulance services, in addition to information sharing across services and exploring multi-component strategies. Understanding reasons behind calls can enable more personalised, effective care.
Conclusion: Initial evidence points to promising frequent caller reduction strategies, however further high-quality research is urgently needed to confirm effectiveness and support implementation
Social entrepreneurship as a tool for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on a local scale: ‘The Larder’ providing the ingredients for food fairness
No full textThis chapter explores social entrepreneurship as a tool for achieving selected United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the food system in Preston, UK. Underpinned by social entrepreneurship theory and the UN 2030 Agenda, this chapter presents findings from research with the social enterprise The Larder. The study had a three-fold purpose: (1) to investigate how The Larder’s social entrepreneurial activity contributes to sustainable development locally; (2) to explore what contribution The Larder is making to fulfilling the SDGs in Preston and (3) to establish what ‘ingredients’ (factors) make up The Larder’s ‘recipe’ in their agenda for ‘food fairness for all.’ This study follows the principles of case study research. Data was collected through interviews with the Founder and Director of The Larder, by observational research and by accessing secondary data sources. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data and the insight gained was synthesised into a list of six ‘ingredients’ for the implementation of food fairness on a local scale. The findings are of value to an academic audience, social policy makers and communities looking for a recipe to develop a sustainable food system
Radar versus optical: The impact of cloud cover when mapping seasonal surface water for health applications in monsoon-affected India
Get PDFSurface water plays a vital role in the spread of infectious diseases. Information on the spatial and temporal dynamics of surface water availability is thus critical to understanding, monitoring and forecasting disease outbreaks. Before the launch of Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) missions, surface water availability has been captured at various spatial scales through approaches based on optical remote sensing data. A critical drawback of the latter is data loss due to cloud cover, however few studies have quantified this. This study evaluated data loss due to clouds in three Western Ghats (India) districts. These forest-agricultural mosaic landscapes, where water-related diseases are prevalent, experience the Indian monsoon. We compared surface water areas mapped by thresholding 10m Sentinel-1A SAR data with the optical 30m Landsat-derived Joint Research Centre (JRC) Global Surface Water product, currently the only globally available long-term monthly surface water data product. Backscatter thresholds were identified manually, and our Bayesian algorithm found these thresholds were very likely (>97%). While the Sentinel-1 SAR-based and JRC’s optical-based approach mapped surface water extent with high overall accuracy (> 98%) when the cloud cover was low, the unmapped surface water area was substantial in the JRC product during the monsoon months. Across the districts, the average cloud cover in the July-August period was 92% or 90% for 2017 and 2018 respectively, resulting in 25% or 23% of the surface water area being unmapped. Also, the more detailed 10m resolution of Sentinel-1A SAR helped detect the many small water features missed by 30m JRC. Thus, for predicting water-related disease risks linked to small water features or monsoon rainfall, Sentinel-1A SAR is more effective. Finally, automatic backscatter thresholding for unvegetated surface water mapping can be effective if threshold values are adapted to regional-specific backscatter spatial and temporal variations
Barriers and enablers encountered by bereaved informal motor neuron disease (MND) caregivers when trying to access bereavement support: a qualitative cross-sectional thematic analysis of semi structured interviews with 6–36 months post bereavement informal MND caregivers in the UK
Get PDFAbstract
Background Caregivers of people with motor neuron disease (MND) face more negative consequences of caregiving than other terminal illnesses. The impact of this caregiver burden can negatively influence bereavement outcomes.
Objectives This study aims to explore the support needs of caregivers of people with MND, the types of bereavement services they use, or the reasons for not using bereavement services, and understanding the opportunities and barriers to accessing bereavement services.
Design The design of the study was a qualitative interview study using thematic analysis following the method of Braun and Clarke (2006).
Setting and participants Twenty bereaved caregivers of people with MND were purposively sampled. Participants were recruited through the Lancashire and South Cumbria MND Care and Research Centre.
Results Thematic analysis revealed four overarching themes: (1) type of support accessed, (2) the importance of people who understand, (3) barriers to accessing support, and (4) being (un)prepared for death and afterwards.
Conclusions Caregivers of people with MND require people who understand their unique needs to support them, alongside professional support, to prepare them for the death of their loved one and beyond. Barriers to accessing support included the need for in-person support, insufficient financial support or signposting to relevant services and being unprepared for death and bereavement