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Medium and large family businesses of North West England as learning organisations
Get PDFThis study is an exploration of the learning strategies of family businesses in the North West of England, within the framework of the theory of the Learning Organisation (LO). The main purpose of this study is to explore and evaluate the notion of the Learning Organisation and to investigate its prevalence and application to the Family Business sector within North West England. To date, a very limited amount of studies focused on the characteristics of the LO within the medium and large family business context. Therefore, this study contributes to knowledge by determining practical guidance for implementing LO characteristics that can be applied to family businesses. The study used a qualitative methodology, associated with the social constructivist and interpretivist paradigm. Six medium and large family businesses operating in North West England were chosen to facilitate the qualitative research. In the North West of England, medium and large family businesses have complex features which create high demand for owners and employees to adopt learning strategies discussed in the LO concept which makes it an ideal context to explore the prevalence and the application of LO characteristics.
This research makes a number of contributions to knowledge. Firstly, through review and analysis of the currently available theoretical work from more than 40 LO theorists and practitioners spanning the last four decades. The development of this “theoretical frame of reference” and the terminology used for identifying and analysing of LO characteristics is not only seen as a vital fundamental step in the course of this thesis, but also as a major contribution to providing structure and improving the future academic study of LO. Second, findings from the study suggest that medium and large family businesses have shown the existence of some of the LO characteristics within the three main levels of the organisations. The notable findings of the research are that medium and large family businesses need to develop a learning culture with organisational learning to incorporate with the business strategy and provide a transformational leadership so as to achieve the possibility of becoming a LO. The findings identify that family businesses in the North West region have the potential to become Learning Organisations should they implement the proposed recommendations and changes to their currently family business models. Third, the thesis makes a methodological contribution by introducing a model of Learning Organisations which specifically relates to family businesses. Furthermore, this model aims to facilitate a learning culture that suggests family businesses adopt key characteristics of the LO for continuous improvement, collective learning, and enhancement of performance
editorial
Get PDFThis is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Harris, P. & Moss, D. (2020) Editorial: Reflections on the Impact of Coronavirus on Public Affairs. Journal of Public Affairs, 20(2), which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.2205. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.As the editorial team considered how we might best mark the 20th anniversary year of the publication of the Journal of Public Affairs and reflected on what significant developments have occurred in the world of public affairs over the past two decades, none of us around that table could have possibly imagined how the world of politics and society as a whole could and would change in just a few short months. Yes we all witnessed the horrible effects of Ebola in Africa, and of SARS in the Far East and in the UK we experienced the nationwide lockdown of countryside during the infamous foot and mouth disease that ravaged the countryside in 2001. However devastating each of these disease outbreaks that we might think of as contagions have been, none can really compare or have prepared us fully for a the rapidity and impact that the recent coronavirus pandemic has had across the world, not only in terms of the scale of the infection rising death rate, but in the profound impact it has had on the economy and on people's lives and livelihood
“I too matter”. The experience and impact of a brief online self-compassion intervention for informal carers of those with a life-limiting or terminal illness: A mixed methods study
Get PDFAims: Being an informal carer of someone with a life-limiting or terminal illness (‘Carer’) often results in marked levels of depression, anxiety and stress. Yet, Carers have little available free time to devote to lengthy, well-being interventions offered outside the home. Carers also struggle to prioitorise their self-care, a factor which may help buffer some of the negative impacts of being a Carer. The aim of this research was to gain insight into Carers’ views and perceptions of the impact of a brief, four module, online self-compassion intervention for Carers which was created to improve wellbeing, increase self-compassion and develop self-care among Carers. In so doing, the research addresses gaps in the literature relating to self-compassion interventions for Carers and targeted self-care initiatives for Carers.
Design: This predominantly qualitative study was undertaken in two phases. In Phase One semi-structured interviews with nine participants of a four module, one to one self-compassion intervention (iCare), delivered in person, were conducted and data
subjected to a reflexive thematic analysis within a critical realist framework. Additionally, descriptive statistics were collected. The findings from Phase One provided a theoretical basis for the design and content of the online version of iCare,
the intervention studied in Phase Two. Seven Carers completed the four module online self-compassion programme. Data were collected through individual module feedback, post-intervention online qualitative questionnaires and descriptive statistics.
Findings: The reflexive thematic analysis of the data generated four overarching themes: The Myth of SuperCarer; Get with the programme!; ‘Being kinder to myself’; and Everyone’s a winner. These explored how participants approached iCareonline, the impact engaging with it had on their well-being and highlighted how participants developed self-care through gaining permission to recognise their own needs. Improvements in psychological well-being and increases in self-compassion were
reflected in the quantitative findings. In line with critical realist methodology, a causal mechanism was proposed explaining the development of self-compassion and conscious self-care among participants based on a cyclical model of Carer self-compassion.
Implications: This study has relevance for: healthcare practitioners as the findings suggest that these professionals have a key role in legitimising Carer needs and fostering permission in Carers to practise self-care; counselling and psychotherapy professionals who work with Carers who are well-placed to challenge barriers Carer-clients may erect in the face of encouragement to practise self-care and self-compassion. Some of the content of iCare may prove useful to those therapists adopting a pluralistic approach when working with clients who are carers. Finally, teachers of mindful self-compassion
could note the importance of the permission-giving aspects of a self-compassion intervention and the role it plays in developing conscious self-care in participants
Low body fat does not influence recovery after muscle-damaging lower-limb plyometrics in young male team sport athletes
Get PDFThis document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a published work that appeared in final form in Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk5040079Aim: This study assessed the influence of fat mass to fat-free mass ratio (FM:FFM) on
recovery from plyometric exercise. Method: After assessment of body composition, 20 male team
sport players (age 20.7 1.1 years; body mass 77.1 11.5 kg) were divided into low- (n = 10; 0.11 0.03)
and normal- (n = 10; 0.27 0.09) fat groups based on FM:FFM ratio. Thereafter, participants completed
measurements of knee extensor torque at 60 and 240 s1, countermovement jump flight time, plasma
creatine kinase (CK) activity and perceived muscle soreness (VAS) before and at 0, 24 and 48 h after
10 10 maximal plyometric vertical jumps. Results: Evidence of muscle damage was confirmed by
alterations in VAS, peak torque at 60 and 240 s1 and flight time at 0, 24 and 48 h after plyometric
exercise (P < 0.05). CK was increased at 0 and 24 h (P < 0.05) but returned to baseline values
by 48 h. No time by group e ects were observed for any of the dependent variables (P > 0.05).
Conclusion: The current findings indicate that while muscle damage was present after plyometric
exercise, the magnitude was similar across the two body composition groups. Applied practitioners
can allow for a similar recovery time after plyometric exercise in those with low and normal body fat
Effects of inkjet printed toughener on delamination suppression in drilling of carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRPs)
Get PDFDelamination has been recognised as the predominant damage induced during the drilling of carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRPs). It could significantly reduce the bearing capacity and shorten the service life of the designed component. To enhance the delamination resistance of CFRPs for different applications, great affords have been done to improve their interlaminar fracture toughness. However, due to the difficulty in accurately controlling the amount of the toughener applied in the interface, effect of the toughener content on the toughening efficiency is rarely studied. In this work, an experimental research was developed to investigate the performance of the toughener on the improvement of delamination resistance in the drilling of CFRPs and parametrically optimise the toughener content with the consideration of different feed rates. Specifically, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) solutions with various concentrations were selected to add on the CFRP prepreg, and co-cured together with layups. The inkjet printing technology was adopted to deposit the PMMA solutions for precisely controlled toughener contents. Through drilling experiments on the toughened CFRPs, it was found that the optimal content of the PMMA solution was 10 wt% to offer the least delamination, in particular, for the situation under the highest feed rate condition. The toughing mechanisms were also concluded by analysing the histories of the thrust force and torque in the drilling process. The results of this study is significantly contribute to the locally toughening of the composite interfaces and the improvement of the drilling quality, which is specifically helpful to strengthen the joint property for the structural design stage for the aircraft
An investigation of canine mesenchymal stem cells and their secretome in the context of spinal cord injury
Get PDFSpinal cord injury (SCI) is a condition that has devastating effects on both humans and animals alike. Damage inflicted causes loss of neural tissue and secondary inflammatory mechanisms produce an inhibitory environment that results in partial or complete loss of motor and sensory functions. Additionally, SCI can cause multisystem issues such as organ failures, infections, muscle atrophy and decrease in mental health. Coupled with emotional and financial burdens, these effects can reduce quality of life. Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC) are known to have immunomodulatory, angiogenic and paracrine activity, all of which are beneficial to wound healing following SCI. Pre-clinical studies have shown encouraging results of MSC therapy for SCI, however replication of results has been difficult to achieve in the clinic. Dogs also suffer from SCI and show the same heterogenous nature and pathophysiology of SCI as humans. This provides a good potential clinical model for MSC therapies for SCI, as well as providing benefit in the veterinary clinic. Therefore, the overall aim of this study was to assess if canine MSC (cMSC) and cMSC secretome (conditioned medium; CM) could potentially be used for treatment of SCI in veterinary clinics, simultaneously providing model data that could be translated into the human clinic. It was first required to confirm efficacy of cMSC when used to treat other conditions in dogs, such as arthritis, along with safety of autologous transplantation. Characterisation of both cMSC phenotype and paracrine (angiogenic and neurogenic) activity was confirmed using ISCT criteria and the established cell lines EA.hy926 and SH-SY5Y. Further examination showed that exposure to certain elements of the injured spinal cord, such as CSPG which are found within the inhibitory glial scar, exerted some effects on cMSC and cMSC angiogenic and neurogenic paracrine activity. To finish, the study aimed to assess the effect of cMSC CM on an ex vivo model of the spinal cord, a multicellular environment and it was found that cMSC CM increased astrocyte reactivity but reduced neuronal maturation and growth, suggesting that cMSC paracrine activity depends in part on the spinal cord microenvironment. Overall, this study has shown that cMSC, in particular cMSC CM, could be used as complete or partial treatment for SCI in dogs
Kleśas and Pretas: Therapy and liberation in Buddhist recovery from addiction
Get PDFThis article offers an analysis of Buddhist approaches to addiction
recovery in the terms of some of the key debates in addiction/recovery
studies. Buddhist recovery teachings are analysed for the extent to
which they embody models of addiction which construe the problem
as a disease, as a moral problem, as a problem of powerlessness, as
a problem of control, as a choice, as a social or a personal problem,
and as continuous (or not) with putative saṃsāric experience. They
are also analysed for the extent to which recovery is modelled as
a change of identity or of practices, and how far “recovery ideals”
align with Buddhist soteriology. The article exposes philosophical
and epistemological diversity across Buddhist recovery pathways,
and argues that the therapeutization of Buddhism (Metcalf 2002)
is inadequate as a categorical frame
Lamin A/C dysregulation contributes to cardiac pathology in a mouse model of severe spinal muscular atrophy
Get PDFCardiac pathology is emerging as a prominent systemic feature of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), but little is known about the underlying molecular pathways. Using quantitative proteomics analysis, we demonstrate widespread molecular defects in heart tissue from the Taiwanese mouse model of severe SMA. We identify increased levels of lamin A/C as a robust molecular phenotype in the heart of SMA mice and show that lamin A/C dysregulation is also apparent in SMA patient fibroblast cells and other tissues from SMA mice. Lamin A/C expression was regulated in vitro by knockdown of the E1 ubiquitination factor ubiquitin-like modifier activating enzyme 1, a key downstream mediator of SMN-dependent disease pathways, converging on β-catenin signaling. Increased levels of lamin A are known to increase the rigidity of nuclei, inevitably disrupting contractile activity in cardiomyocytes. The increased lamin A/C levels in the hearts of SMA mice therefore provide a likely mechanism explaining morphological and functional cardiac defects, leading to blood pooling. Therapeutic strategies directed at lamin A/C may therefore offer a new approach to target cardiac pathology in SMA
2^n bordered constructions of self-dual codes from group rings
Get PDFSelf-dual codes, which are codes that are equal to their orthogonal, are a widely studied family of codes.
Various techniques involving circulant matrices and matrices from group rings have been used to construct
such codes. Moreover, families of rings have been used, together with a Gray map, to construct binary
self-dual codes. In this paper, we introduce a new bordered construction over group rings for self-dual
codes by combining many of the previously used techniques. The purpose of this is to construct self-dual
codes that were missed using classical construction techniques by constructing self-dual codes with different
automorphism groups. We apply the technique to codes over finite commutative Frobenius rings of characteristic
2 and several group rings and use these to construct interesting binary self-dual codes. In particular, we construct
some extremal self-dual codes length 64 and 68, constructing 30 new extremal self-dual codes of length 68
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