18918 research outputs found
Sort by
Analysis of Volatility Between Macroeconomic Variables and Busan Port Cargo Throughput According to Global Risks
No full textThis study investigates how container (BPC) and non-container (BPB) cargo throughput at Busan Port responds to structural shocks in global and domestic macroeconomic variables, and how their relative importance changes over time. The selection of variables was based on a combination of a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) and semi-structured interviews (SSI). The econometric analysis applied a stepwise framework, employing cumulative Impulse Response Functions (IRF) and Forecast Error Variance Decomposition (FEVD) based on Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) estimations, as well as Historical Decomposition (HD) for specific crisis periods. While IRF and FEVD were used to capture dynamic properties under general conditions, HD was employed to identify and compare the structural contributions of variables during particular crises, namely the global financial crisis (2008Q1–2010Q4) and the COVID-19 pandemic (2020Q1–2022Q4). The dataset consisted of quarterly observations from 2005 to 2022, and included BPC and BPB as dependent variables, alongside global factors (Baltic Dry Index, BDI; China Containerised Freight Index, CCFI; World Export and Import Indices, MEI/MII; China’s export and import volumes, CEV/CIV) and domestic factors (Korea Composite Index, KCI; Korea’s export and import values, KEV/KIV; Korea’s GDP, KGDP; and the KRW/USD exchange rate, KER).The key findings are as follows. First, IRF results showed that BPC exhibited moderate positive cumulative responses to CIV and MEI/MII, while KER produced consistently significant negative responses across all lags, suggesting that depreciation of the won structurally constrained container throughput. Domestic economic variables (KGDP, KEV, KIV, KCI) displayed largely flat or insignificant responses. By contrast, BPB showed consistent negative cumulative responses to MII, positive responses to MEI and CIV, and modest positive responses to KER, which were statistically significant at certain lags.Second, the FEVD numerically confirmed these differences in sensitivity. For BPC, the explanatory power of its own variable decreased from around 40% initially to about 29% in the long term, with the influence of exogenous variables expanding. Among these, KER accounted for the largest long-term contribution (approximately 35%), while MEI, MII, and CIV each sustained meaningful explanatory power of about 7–8%. In contrast, most domestic variables contributed less than 5%. For BPB, the explanatory power of its own variable declined markedly from around 12% to 3% in the long term. MII accounted for the highest contribution (around 30%), followed by CIV (13%), MEI (11%), with BDI and CCFI also providing notable explanatory shares.Finally, HD analysis was conducted to identify structural contributions during specific crisis periods. During the global financial crisis (2008Q1–2010Q4), the decline in BPC was mainly driven by negative contributions from KER and MII, while recovery was supported by increasing positive contributions from MEI and CIV. For BPB, negative contributions from freight indices (BDI and CCFI) were dominant during the downturn, whereas recovery was driven by positive contributions from BDI, CIV, and MII, with KER acting as a buffer in certain phases. During the COVID-19 pandemic (2020Q1–2022Q4), BPC was constrained primarily by the persistent negative contributions of MII. KER initially provided a modest positive buffering effect, but later shifted to a negative influence, while BDI played a mitigating positive role after mid-2021. For BPB, MEI exerted a strong negative shock in 2020, but recovery in 2021 was supported by the positive contributions of MII, with BDI and CCFI also playing favourable roles. CIV, however, showed differentiated patterns, shifting to negative contributions in certain quarters.In sum, Busan Port throughput is structurally sensitive to global variables, though the transmission channels and relative importance differ by cargo type. The financial crisis was characterised by the dominance of financial and monetary channels, such as exchange rates and freight indices, while the pandemic was driven more by real economy channels, including demand contraction and supply chain bottlenecks. Methodologically, this study contributes by presenting a “crisis-sensitive dynamic analysis framework” (SLR–SSI–VAR/VECM–IRF/FEVD/HD), enabling the integrated assessment of response structures under general conditions (IRF and FEVD) and structural contributions during crises (HD). Practically, the study proposes the establishment of an early-warning and response system using MII, MEI, CCFI, BDI, CIV, and KER as key monitoring indicators, differentiated operational strategies for container and non-container cargo, and crisis-specific policy priorities—exchange rate stabilisation and export recovery for financial crises, or global demand monitoring and supply chain resilience for real economy crises. Limitations remain, particularly the focus on a single port and the use of quarterly data. Future research should therefore consider multi-port comparisons, the inclusion of non-quantitative factors, and a wider range of global events to enhance external validity and policy applicability
Periodontal precision: diagnostic skills and confidence of dentists in Asian countries in applying the 2017 EFP/AAP periodontal disease classification- a cross-sectional pilot study
No full textBackground: The classification of periodontal disease published in 2017 by the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) and American Academy of Periodontology (AAP), provides a framework for diagnosis and treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic skills and self-perceived confidence of dentists and dental students based in Asian countries in the use of this classification. Methods: A cross-sectional analytic study design was employed. An online questionnaire encompassing four periodontitis cases was used for data collection. A total of 500 participants were invited to provide a diagnosis and rate their confidence for each case. Results: Responses were provided by 312 participants completed including 192 females and 120 males. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a statistically significant difference in accuracy across cases by Professional Role (F (9,924) = 2.304, p = 0.005), and an overall difference on accuracy by Professional Role (F (1,308) = 2.304, p = 0.012). The diagnostic accuracy mean was highest for periodontics specialists (57.81 ± 49.78) followed by general dentists (50.00 ± 50.31), other dental specialists (45.00 ± 50.06); and dental students (25.00 ± 43.55). A statistically significant difference in confidence was noted across Age Groups, Gender, and Roles (F(1,291) = 6.356, p \u3c 0.001; F(1,293) = 13.747, p \u3c 0.001; F(1,291) = 8.731, p \u3c 0.001 respectively). There was no statistically significant effect on confidence ratings by any interaction between Location and Case. Conclusion: The study shows the diagnostic accuracy and confidence was highest amongst periodontology specialists followed by general dentists and undergraduate students. Overall the participants showed suboptimal diagnostic accuracy and confidence
Ethnic diversity in UK bioscience: Structural biases and recommendations for action
No full textScientific research is more innovative and impactful when scientists are drawn from diverse backgrounds. However, the scientific community does not reflect the demographics of wider society. Global Majority communities remain underrepresented within science, particularly within senior leadership roles. Here we explore ethnic diversity within UK academic biosciences, using publicly available staff and student demographic data from the UK Higher Education Statistics Authority. We use the Simpson index as a quantitative measure of diversity within the biosciences and construct linear mixed effect models to identify significant predictors of both student and staff ethnic diversity. For staff, there were significant negative effects on diversity for those in teaching-only roles, and lower diversity amongst higher paid and professorial or senior management staff. For students there are significant negative effects on diversity for part-time students and for postgraduate research students, with PhD students significantly less diverse than undergraduates. There was also considerable variation in diversity by biology subdiscipline, with higher ethnic diversity amongst biomedical sciences and biomolecular subdisciplines, while very low ethnic diversity was found within zoology, plant science and ecology. A correlation was found between the ethnic diversity of bioscience subdisciplines and the diversity of institutions offering those subdisciplines. Based on these findings, we provide evidence-based recommendations for action at various levels, including teaching teams, research groups, bioscience departments and professional bodies. We call upon the sector to take decisive steps to enhance outcomes and experiences for Global Majority staff and students, ultimately diversifying the academic pipeline to the direct benefit of UK bioscience
O5-02 HOW AND WHY PRECONCEPTION HEALTH AMONG PEOPLE LIVING WITH OBESITY COULD BE IMPROVED BY INCLUDING OBESITY AS A HEALTH CONDITION in: Abstracts from the 10th meeting of the Association for the Study of Obesity: UK Congress on Obesity 2025
No full textUniversity Of Plymouth, Plymouth, UKPeople living with obesity have a greater chance of developingcomplications during pregnancy and are over-represented inmaternal mortality data relating to both direct and indirect causesduring pregnancy and up to a year after the birth of their child. Inaddition, epigenetic influences result in metabolic changes inoffspring of people living with obesity leading to a greater chanceof them experiencing long-term health consequences. In view ofthese health concerns, people living with obesity are advised to loseweight in the preconception period, before becoming pregnant.Sustained weight loss, however, can be difficult to achieve, andpeople do not always seek preconception advice. The aim of thisstudy was to explore what form of preconception care for peoplewith health conditions, including those living with obesity, works, forwhom, how, and in what circumstances. Realist methodology wasused to identify causal explanations, involving consideration ofunobservable processes or powers. A realist evaluation involved 31qualitative interviews with relevant stakeholders: women living withhealth conditions (n = 20), including those living with obesity (n = 3),their partners or supporting family members (n = 2), and healthcareprofessionals involved in providing preconception care (n = 9). Themulti-stage realist evaluation generated 13 refined middle-rangetheories, providing causal explanations of what works for whom, andhow. Of these, one specifically relates to achieving support toimprove preconception health for people living with obesity. Themechanisms identified involve resources that include monitoring andtreatment, and reasoning that reduces feelings of guilt or blame,facilitating effective communication between the person living withobesity and their healthcare professional. This is the first study ofpreconception care for people with health conditions, includingpeople living with obesity, using a realist approach. The findingsidentified obesity as an outlier, when compared with healthconditions such as diabetes or epilepsy, which are monitored, treated, and for which preconception care is offered by healthcareprofessionals. It provides a causal explanation of how preconceptionhealth could be improved by including obesity as a health conditionand emphasises the importance of treating people with kindnessand respect.Disclosures: Non
Functional Imagery Training for Increasing Employee Psychological Resilience
No full textWork-related mental ill-health is a significant issue affecting individuals worldwide including the United Kingdom, and has adverse individual, organisational, and societal impacts. Psychological interventions can address this problem by promoting individual coping skills, or resilience. Before developing and implementing resilience interventions, conceptual clarity of psychological resilience is needed. This thesis begins by considering definitions of psychological resilience, especially in the context of the workplace, and how it can be better conceptualised so that it is a target of psychological interventions. Following consideration of definitions, existing measures of resilience in the workplace are evaluated (Study 1) and a more appropriate tool to measure resilience is developed (Employee Resilience Assessment; Study 2). This tool adheres to a process-based definition of resilience and targets components malleable to interventions. It is applicable in the context of everyday stress, which is prevalent in the workplace, as opposed to single and significant adversity. Studies 3 and 4 validate this new resilience scale by demonstrating construct validity, reliability, and test-retest reliability at four weeks. Having developed a measure of resilience appropriate in this context, Study 5 consults members of the public and gathers opinions and experiences regarding interventions for increasing employee psychological resilience to inform intervention development. Study 6 then compares the intervention, Functional Imagery Training, to a waitlist control group in a pre-registered randomised trial to assess impact on employee resilience, quality of life, wellbeing, life satisfaction, and work-based outcomes. FIT encourages the development of personalised resilience goals (i.e. behaviours which contribute to resilience; processes) and trains mental imagery to motivate and sustain employees’ self-efficacy to work towards these resilience goals. Compared to controls, participants trained in FIT show benefits for resilience and wellbeing. Qualitative data from FIT participants (Study 7) provided generally very positive feedback on experiences with the intervention and recommendations for improvements. Finally, study 8 implemented FIT in a unique workplace, the military, to assess any impact of the intervention on retention, resilience, self-efficacy, and grit on military recruits undergoing the British Army commando course. Differences in outcomes following FIT were not significant but recruits provided positive qualitative feedback from experiences with FIT. Preliminary evidence from this thesis shows that FIT strengthens employee resilience and improves wellbeing
Promoting trustworthy file sharing: A community-governed dApp approach
No full textIn the cyber digital world, file sharing has become a cornerstone of global connectivity, facilitating the exchange of media, information, and resources among people worldwide. File sharing is already a norm in our daily lives, with many existing platforms allowing users to download shared content without verification or with only basic verification. Hence, the trustworthiness of the shared content is a concern. Meanwhile, blockchain technology has evolved over the last 15 years since its introduction, renowned for its decentralised, secure, and transparent system enabling efficient transactions, traceability across various industries. To address the mentioned open issue, we introduce a decentralised application (dApp) called Filetherst which is backed by ETHERST, a blockchain-based PKI. Filetherst focuses on ensuring shared files are trustworthy through the involvement of the virtual community in evaluating trustworthiness through actions triggered by community members. The foundational principle lies in encouraging users to actively take part in governing the platform, fostering a culture of transparency and accountability, preventing users from using multiple fake accounts to create false trustworthiness. Filetherst is the first dApp that leverages the Ethereum ERC-20 token to establish a self-governing network aimed at addressing the dissemination of harmful and inappropriate content within a virtual community
JBI evidence implementation project: developing an educational intervention for frozen shoulder
No full textAn Arc of Time Through Crime: Representations of Gypsies and Travellers in Police Killings
No full textThis paper examines newspaper stories reporting on the killings by Gypsy and Traveller offenders of PC Leslie Meehan in 1960 and PC Andrew Harper in 2019. These media representations are used as heuristic devices to explore differing media discourses about this white minority ethnic group. Sixty years apart, these stories demonstrate supportive media commentary in the earlier period and more corrosive coverage in the recent period. Making a contribution to historical criminology and its consideration of race, this paper draws from extensive archival analysis and the extant literature. It highlights the political-economic significance of home ownership, the partial inclusion of Gypsies and Travellers in the multicultural polity, and broader trends towards increasing punitivism in criminal justice, as key explanatory factors in these different media and political representations
Tsunami Boulder Transport in Coastal Environments: Insights from Physical Experiments and Dimensional Analysis
Get PDFCoastal boulder deposits hold the potential to aid in the reconstruction of past extreme wave events. However, commonly used hydrodynamic equations for calculating wave heights from transported boulders can be inaccurate. New and alternative methods need to be explored in an interdisciplinary way to ensure a more complete picture of the phenomenon of boulder transport is achieved. Through the use of a physical experiment, this study aims to investigate the influence of different tsunami wave types, wave parameters and boulder shapes on boulder transport distance. The experimental results also allow for a novel application of dimensional analysis to enable comparisons with other experiments as well as a field case study. In the experiment an elongate irregularly shaped boulder showed transport distances up to 1 m farther than a cuboid shaped boulder under the influence of the same waves. The irregularly shaped boulder had a predominant transport mode of rolling, whereas the cuboid shaped boulder predominantly underwent sliding transport. Tsunami wave type also influenced boulder transport distances, with N-waves frequently showing greater transport than E-waves of a comparable wave steepness. Key offshore wave and boulder parameters were then compared through dimensional analysis using Buckingham\u27s Pi Theorem, enabling comparisons to other datasets to be made. Data from another published experimental study and a field study in Settai, Japan, showed reasonable agreement, particularly for the shorter period field data. These findings emphasize the importance of incorporating boulder shape, wave type, and dimensional analysis into future studies, providing a foundation for more accurate reconstructions of past tsunami events
Provision of a daily high protein and high energy meal: Effects on the physical and psychological wellbeing of community-dwelling, malnourished older adults; a randomised crossover trial
Get PDFObjectives: To determine whether daily provision of a high protein, high energy meal for 12-weeks to under-nourished older adults living independently in the community can improve physical, physiological, and psychological outcomes. Design: A randomised crossover trial. Setting: Participant homes within a 15-mile radius to meal supplier; Dartmoor Community Kitchen Hub. Participants: Fifty-six community dwelling older adults (82 ± 7 years, 70% female) were randomised (stratified for baseline mini nutritional assessment (MNA) score and cohabiting or living alone) to receive 12-weeks of meal provision followed by 12-weeks no intervention (meals first group, n = 28), or, 12-weeks without intervention followed by 12-weeks of meal provision intervention (meals second group, n = 28). Intervention: A daily high protein and high energy home-delivered meal for 12-weeks. Each meal contained \u3e50% daily protein requirements (0.6 g kg−1 of the recommended 1.2 g kg−1.day−1, ∼42 g protein per meal) and \u3e40% daily energy requirements (∼715 kcal). Measurements: Physical, physiological and psychological health (including MNA score, body composition, hand grip strength, self-esteem, and depression) were evaluated in participants’ homes before and after each 12-week period (baseline, 12-weeks, and 24-weeks). The effect of meal provision was assessed by t-test then effects were combined using meta-analysis. Retention of any meal provision effect after cessation of meal delivery was quantified as change from the end of the meal intervention versus 12-weeks follow-up via paired t-test. Results: The meal intervention significantly increased MNA score with a medium effect size (MNA: pooled Cohen\u27s D = 0.74, p \u3c 0.001). Energy and protein intake increased significantly during the control period where participants were asked to maintain their habitual diet in the meals second group (energy intake: increase = 252 kcal [95% CI 36–487 kcal], t(22) = 2.408, p = 0.025, protein intake: increase = 0.20 g kg−1 [95% CI 0.04–0.357 g kg−1], t(22) = 2.629, p = 0.015), which confounded the principle of a randomised crossover design analysis. When the control effect in those in the meals second group was removed from the analysis, the effect of the meal provision was much greater (meal provision significantly improved energy and protein intakes (311 kcal D = 0.52 (95% CI 0.22 to 0.82), p \u3c 0.001; 0.24 g kg−1 D = 0.52 (0.19–0.81), p \u3c 0.001, respectively), MNA score (2.6 points D = 1.14 (0.78–1.50), p \u3c 0.001), and handgrip strength (1.5 kg D = 0.36 (0.06–0.66), p = 0.02), but did not change levels of depression or self-esteem). Twelve weeks after meal removal, the following % of the meal effect was retained: 68% for MNA score, 27% for negative mood score, 15% for daily energy intake, 6% for daily protein intake and 0% for handgrip strength. Conclusion: Provision of high protein, high energy meals to community dwelling older adults for 12-weeks improved nutritional status and handgrip strength, indicative of reduced frailty risk. Benefits were not retained upon withdrawal of the intervention, suggesting a need for sustained interventions in this cohort to meet nutritional needs. Home-delivered meals offer a popular, and scalable intervention for community dwelling older adults to prevent malnutrition, promote health and sustain high quality independent living thus reducing the burden of ageing and frailty on health and social care systems