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Children's agency in contact disputes: navigating protection, participation and alienation
No full textThis article examines how children's agency is framed, constrained and sometimes co-opted within contested child arrangement proceedings, particularly in the context of alienation and coercive behaviours. Drawing on qualitative interviews with legal professionals in Northern Ireland, the study explores how statutory interventions, though well-intentioned, may inadvertently reinforce coercive family dynamics when relational histories are overlooked. Legal practitioners described patterns in which inexperienced social workers, shaped by high-profile child protection discourses, applied overly defensive assessments to low-risk family disputes. These tendencies risk amplifying one parental narrative and misinterpreting children's expressed wishes as autonomous rather than relational. Using a feminist and children's rights framework, the paper argues that agency must be understood within the child's evolving emotional environment and family context. By foregrounding legal professionals' observations of social work practice, the study offers a novel, cross-professional lens on how institutional systems can undermine children's participation rights. The article concludes with recommendations for enhancing relational assessment practices, strengthening professional training and supporting more nuanced approaches to the child's voice in private law proceedings.<br/
S4 Effects of hyperoxia on pulmonary inflammation and organ injury in a human in vivo model (HIPI): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
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Treatment decision-making for using CFTR modulator therapy in patients with cystic fibrosis
No full textBackgroundFive cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulator (CFTRm) therapies are approved for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Despite the established efficacy and safety of CFTRm therapy, variability exists in prescribing amongst CF physicians. Here, we describe prescriber factors influencing CFTRm use.MethodsThis observational study used clinical vignettes of patients with CF. Participants were adult pulmonologists and pediatricians specializing in respiratory medicine from Germany, Italy, UK, Ireland, and the Netherlands. Participants took part in a 3-step data collection process: (i) 60-minute individual telephone interview; (ii) decision exercise where physicians made a treatment decision about CFTRm on 10 clinical vignettes; and (iii) 30-minute web-assisted interview to provide rationale for treatment decisions. Univariate analysis, dimensionality reduction via factor analysis, and a random-effects logistic regression model were used to identify factors impacting CFTRm prescribing.ResultsThirty-eight pulmonologists and 42 pediatricians provided 800 clinical decisions. Only 45 % of pulmonologists and 29 % of pediatricians prescribed a CFTRm for all eligible adult or pediatric vignettes. Pancreatic sufficiency decreased odds of prescribing a CFTRm (OR 0.106; 95 % CI 0.046, 0.244) whereas odds increased for patients’ age >12 years (OR 3.779; 95 % CI 1.579, 9.042). Physician characteristics associated with CFTRm prescribing were being proactive/pushing boundaries (OR 1.772; 95 % CI 1.153, 2.722), having previously prescribed LUM/IVA (OR 2.732; 95 % CI 1.070, 6.974), and belief CFTRm therapies could improve adherence (OR 1.440; 95 % CI 0.946, 2.192).ConclusionsBehavioral characteristics, attitudes toward CFTRm therapies, and experience with CFTRm therapies impact physician CFTRm prescribing more than individual disease factors.<br/
Developing learning and life skills through mathematics assessment
No full textAssessment in the core mathematics module for first-year engineering students (155+ students) was redesigned through use of peer review, self-assessment and reflection. These skills are valuable more generally for lifelong learning. As part of the redesign students keep a log book in which they attempt a worksheet each week before the feedback session. They review peers’ work in groups in the feedback sessions following a provided solution. After each feedback session, they write some reflective notes in their log book. The log books form 40% of the assessment with the remainder through an exam. The regular structure helped keep students on schedule and the frequent practice meant they were well prepared for the exam. The peer review was beneficial regarding layout of solutions and alternative methods and background reflective processes associated with developing independent and self-regulated learning skills were evident. There is some evidence of positive impact on student confidence
Researching in circles: material culture, history and methodology
No full textThis essay examines the value of ‘critical intimacy’, return and repetition as perspectives and practices applied in historical research. In particular, it addresses history-writing that uses material culture as primary evidence, or which considers questions of materiality. The discussion begins with examples of eighteenth-century knowledge-making by non-elite individuals and emphasises the early modern home as site of intellectual and creative work. This research was informed by a previous, collaborative project which questioned traditional historical methods. Ultimately, the essay argues that the study of material culture offers historians (and others) an important analytical perspective, one that disrupts linear narratives in favour of generative circles of enquiry.<br/
Experimental thermal runaway degradation and residual performance of fiber-reinforced PEEK and PPS composites for battery enclosure applications
No full textHigh-powered lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are adopted in many transport sectors to reduce carbon emissions. To ensure LIB safety, especially for electric vehicle (EV) applications, battery enclosures must be designed to withstand load cases and failure modes, such as thermal runaway (TR), while remaining lightweight to enhance vehicle range. Fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) represent a promising alternative to traditional materials like steel and aluminum for enclosures. This study investigates high-performance thermoplastic composites such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), reinforced with glass (GF) and carbon fiber (CF) under multi-cell TR conditions. The samples are then subjected to a structural integrity assessment to quantify their damage. The testing method shows comparable open plies and residual compressive strength among samples from the same material. This supports its use for initial material screening prior to system-level evaluations. Structural integrity assessments show no clear correlation with the number of open plies and mass loss, emphasizing the need for subsequent mechanical testing methods. PPS samples showed increased resin degradation areas and lower residual compressive strength (CF-PPS retained 18.5 % while GF-PPS had 22.2 % residual compressive strength) compared to PEEK. GF reinforcement led to higher mass loss than CF and more open plies than CF-reinforced samples but showed higher residual compressive strength (20.7 and 23.2 % for CF-PEEK and GF-PEEK, respectively) and lower back-surface temperatures. The results herein can contribute to the assessment of suitable fiber-matrix systems under TR conditions for battery enclosure applications, by comparing failure mode and structural integrity
Reconfiguring resource orchestration via social capital: a processual view of blockchain in supply chains
No full textPurposeThis study examines how social capital's cognitive and relational dimensions enable effective resource orchestration for blockchain implementation in global supply chains. It reconceptualizes blockchain implementation as a dynamic, cyclical process shaped by evolving interorganizational trust and collaboration.Design/methodology/approachAdopting an abductive, multi-case qualitative methodology, this study examines data collected from a UK-based food manufacturer and nine of its suppliers from developing economies. Primary data, along with secondary documents, is analyzed using social capital theory as the primary lens and resource orchestration theory as a secondary lens.FindingsFindings reveal that while structural capital is foundational, advanced cognitive and relational capital are vital for successful blockchain implementation. Features of blockchain, like immutability and automated verification, enable trust to shift from interpersonal to system-based. Challenging linear models, the study shows a recursive loop where blockchain reinforces social capital, enabling ongoing collaboration and capability building.Practical implicationsManagers should approach blockchain not merely as a technological upgrade but as a relational transformation. Successful implementation requires phased trust-building, capability alignment and tailored orchestration strategies suited to the digital maturity of supply chain partners.Originality/valueThis research contributes a novel integrative framework linking social capital and resource orchestration in a digitally mediated context, a perspective largely overlooked in the existing literature. It challenges deterministic blockchain implementation models by introducing a co-evolutionary perspective grounded in trust dynamics.<br/
Popular fundraising in the Greater War: patriotic war bonds and the rebirth of Poland
No full textThis article explores the patriotic war bonds of the Second Polish Republic, which were sold both domestically and to the diaspora in the United States, during Poland’s border conflicts of 1918–21. It reveals how government and grassroots initiatives converged to mobilise diverse constituencies in Poland, including ethnic minorities, women and the poor. In the United States, these efforts were also marked by tensions between patriotism and professionalism in fundraising for a nationalist cause. It finds commonalities between the Polish war bonds and those of the Great War, in particular the US Liberty Loans. However, for Poland, the article argues, the bonds were not merely financial instruments but also vehicles through which the Second Polish Republic performed its newfound sovereignty, seeking popular recognition at home and abroad.<br/
Prevalence and impact of adverse childhood experiences and extrafamilial violence: a representative survey of adults in Northern Ireland
No full textIntroduction Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are linked to poor outcomes in adulthood, but extrafamilial violence (EFV), such as bullying, community and collective violence, remains relatively under-researched. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of both the commonly measured ACEs and EFV in Northern Ireland (NI), a postconflict region and assess the association with physical and psychological outcomes.Methods A representative sample of 1200 adults completed a standardised assessment of childhood adversity (WHO Adverse Childhood Experiences International Questionnaire) covering 13 ACEs. Logistic regressions assessed the association between high ACE exposure (4+vs 0) and adult mental and physical health, health behaviours and service use, adjusting for age, gender and deprivation. Adjusted ORs (AORs), population attributable fractions and additional variance explained were reported.Results When EFVs were included alongside commonly measured ACEs, 60.0% (n=719) of the NI sample reported at least one ACE and 17.6% (n=212) reported four or more. EFVs were independently associated with poor mental health outcomes, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)/complex PTSD (CPTSD) (AOR=14.8, 95% CI (6.5, 33.8)) and anxiety (AOR=7.5, 95% CI 4.9 to 11.4), contributing up to 18.3% (n=41) of anxiety cases. EFVs were also linked to substance use, chronic pain and frequent health service contact. While the most commonly measured ACEs predicted involvement in the justice system, EFVs significantly improved model fit for most health outcomes.Conclusions EFV is a common and impactful form of childhood adversity. Including EFVs in ACE models improves predictive accuracy, particularly for mental health. ACE research and policy frameworks should be broadened to reflect the added burden of EFV.<br/