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Balancing the books: Understanding the motivations and challenges of part-time students as lifelong learners and “resilient negotiators”
Full text linkThis study examines the motivations and challenges faced by adult learners engaged in part-time study as a form of lifelong learning. It focuses on how they balance competing demands from work, family and study. Applying a theoretical framework of self-directed learning (SDL) and adult learning theory (ALT), the author interviewed 25 part-time students (7 female, 18 male) based in Southeast Asia, all of whom were employed or self-employed. The study identified three core motivations (namely, support systems, personal development and career growth) and three major challenges (namely, balancing responsibilities, time management, and the need for resilience and adaptability). The concept of the “resilient negotiator” emerged as a central theoretical contribution. This idea represents how learners strategically manage limited resources such as time or money, and the expectations of others. The findings of this study have practical implications for universities, employers and policymakers in supporting lifelong learners through the provision of flexible delivery models, supportive policies and institutional incentives. The study contributes to the discourse on adult learning in a post-pandemic context and invites further research with broader demographic and longitudinal perspectives
From X-ray diffraction to molecular simulations: celebrating Professor Angelo Gavezzotti’s contributions to crystal science
Full text linkProfessor Angelo Gavezzotti’s scientific works have shaped the field of structural chemistry and inspired crystallographers and molecular modellers alike. To honour his legacy in this contribution, the Durham Molecular Crystals and Crystallisation (DuMoC2) group (and friends) have reviewed his work with a touch of humour and enormous gratitude. After presenting a concise review of his scientific contributions to crystallography and molecular modelling, the Gavezzotti Structural Database (GSD) was compiled and compared to the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD). We then used Angelo’s PIXEL method to analyse some of the GSD crystal structures. Together, through the writing of this paper, we celebrate Angelo’s career
Community Loneliness: A Critical Gerontological Perspective of Loneliness in Later Life
Full text linkIn social gerontology, the ‘loneliness epidemic’ discourse has been dominated by two competing narratives: one a hyperfixation on the health consequences of loneliness in older age and the other seeking to challenge the notion of its prevalence in later life, prioritising youth loneliness in its place. Lost between these positions is a nuanced engagement with the complexity of loneliness in later life and a willingness to examine how it is lived, observed and negotiated in collaboration with older people themselves. This article addresses that gap by positioning the day centre as a lens through which the complexities of loneliness in older age can be explored. Day centres provide a distinctive site in which the relational, structural and political dynamics of later life are concentrated and made visible, revealing how loneliness is actively navigated through social practices and negotiations of identity. Drawing on insights from a Participatory Action Research (PAR) study, the article introduces ‘community loneliness’ to highlight the importance of situating loneliness within the everyday worlds of older adults, including the rhythms of daily life, the fragile but sustaining ties of community and the often-overlooked negotiations of loss, conflict and connection. In doing so, this article considers the ethical responsibilities of loneliness researchers and calls for a more actively antiageist understanding of loneliness in later life, opening pathways for more responsive, inclusive and justice-oriented approaches to practice and policy
Beyond Weight Loss: Exploring Wellbeing and Lifestyle Outcomes in Digital Weight Management Interventions
No full textObesity has been a major public health concern for decades. Digital weight management interventions (DWMIs) offer promising solutions, yet prior work has rarely assessed broader changes in wellbeing and lifestyle outcomes alongside weight management. We conducted a within-subject field study to examine changes in users' emotional, psychological, and behavioural states across six key outcomes after 6 of the 12-week real-world weight management intervention (WMI). Results showed significant improvements in mental wellbeing at the post-study time point (SWEMWBS, W = 45.5, p = .003), while eating disorder risk also changed (SCOFF, W = 40, p = .035). In exploratory demographic analyses, negative affect reduced among participants without disabilities than those with (U = 170.5, p = .014), and participants living with someone showed a trend towards greater improvements in health promoting lifestyle (U = 128.5, p = .064). The user-centred evaluation of our platform yielded promising results for feature satisfaction and intention to reuse. These findings reflect the psychological complexity of obesity and internalised weight stigma, suggesting a nuanced pattern in which mental wellbeing improvements may occur alongside emotional challenges and behavioural changes during a WMI. Our findings further imply that next-generation DWMIs should more explicitly account for wellbeing and lifestyle factors and harness the potential of AI-based systems to better support diverse user needs and improve effectiveness, accessibility and user experience
Tailoring band structures in two-dimensional antidot magnonic crystals through heterogeneous elastic strain
Full text linkWe present a combined experimental and numerical investigation of strain-mediated control of spin-wave dynamics in two-dimensional antidot magnonic crystals. Using a finite-element approach coupling elasticity and micromagnetism, we demonstrate that static elastic strain, when efficiently transferred from a ferroelectric substrate, induces direction- and mode-dependent modifications of the magnonic band structure. The resulting magnetoelastic anisotropy leads to nonuniform frequency shifts and selective tuning of magnonic band gaps, with strain-induced frequency variations approaching 1 GHz for moderate (0.2%) strain. We further show that strain heterogeneity, arising from the mechanical contrast between the magnetic film and the substrate, introduces local perturbations of the internal field that reshape the band topology. These results establish elastic strain as an effective and scalable parameter for engineering reconfigurable and energy-efficient magnonic devices
Embattled Belief: Religion and the British Army from Korea to Afghanistan
No full textThis book examines the neglected role of religion in the British Army in an era of rapid and far-reaching change. Covering the Cold War, the end of empire, seismic shifts in Britain's cultural and religious landscape, and the dramatic shrinkage of the armed forces, Michael Snape reveals religion's abiding importance at an institutional, individual and operational level. He explores the religious contexts of the Army's warfighting, counterinsurgency and peacekeeping operations, including the Korean, Falklands and Gulf Wars; the 'Emergencies' in Malaya, Kenya and Cyprus; the Northern Ireland conflict; UN and NATO operations in the Balkans; and Iraq and Afghanistan after 9/11. He also charts the religious responses of British soldiers to allies, adversaries and civilian populations. This is a unique and significant contribution to our understanding of the secularisation of British society, the social and cultural history of the British Army, and religion and war in the contemporary world.This first comprehensive study of religion in the British Army since 1950 illustrates the distinctive culture of the British Army in comparison with civilian societyDraws on a wide range of archival materials, memoirs and interviews to achieve a fuller understanding of the role of religion in British society and Britain's national institutionsFocusses not only on Christianity but also on Judaism, Islam, Sikhism, Hinduism, and Buddhis
Increased flood frequency altered carbon fluxes via modifying plant and soil properties in a riparian grassland
Full text linkRiparian ecosystems are hotspots for carbon dioxide and methane emissions, contributing significantly to global carbon budgets and ecosystem sustainability. Under global warming, increasing flood frequency is causing substantial changes in riparian plant-soil systems, with consequent shifts in their carbon dynamics. However, little is known about the effects of altered flood frequencies on such riparian plant-soil-carbon flux interactions. In this study we aimed to address this knowledge gap by using a combination of remotely sensed imagery and field-based monitoring approaches. Field campaigns for plant, soil and gaseous samplings were initially conducted in the minimally flooded period and again resumed in the annually flooded period. Results showed that the study area transitioned from an annually flooded period (1984–2006) to a minimally flooded period (2007–2018) and then back to an annual flooded period once again (2019–2023). Increased flood frequency altered plant composition and diversity, shifting the community towards annual species that are better adapted to flood disturbance. Plant total carbon increased from 38.2 % to 44.0 %, whilst soil total nitrogen decreased from 0.18 % to 0.05 %. These shifts increased ecosystem respiration by 85 %, but not soil respiration, indicating autotrophic respiration drove the net rise. While methane production showed minimal response to flood frequency, a pronounced methane emission pulse (a 30-fold increase) was observed during active inundation. Our findings reveal flood frequency changes drive riparian carbon dynamics through synergistic vegetation-soil feedbacks, critically advancing the understanding of ecosystem responses to climate-amplified hydrological extremes. These findings provide valuable insights for flood management, ecosystem sustainability, and climate adaptation strategies
Enhancement of molecular conductance through a supramolecular five-molecule assembly
Full text linkAchieving a comprehensive understanding and precise control of non-covalent interactions is crucial in molecular design and the development of functional molecular electronic devices, where supramolecular interactions enable the control of the local environment in molecular assemblies. Here, intermolecular interactions are used to create a complex supramolecular assembly by π stacking of 1,1′-bis(4-(methylthio)-phenyl)-[4,4′-bipyridine]-1,1′-diium chloride (1[Cl]2) and tetracyanoquinodimethane radical anion (TCNQ·−), whose crystal structure is determined by an electron diffraction technique, showing the presence of stacked 12+-2(TCNQ·−) units. This solid dissolves in aqueous solutions of cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]), which acts as the host, to form a supramolecular five-molecule {12+-2(TCNQ·−)@2CB[8]} assembly. Its transport properties result in a significant enhancement of conductance. Theoretical studies confirm the stability of the supramolecular assembly and corroborate the enhancement in conductance. These results present a simple and effective method for stabilizing and enhancing charge transport efficiency through a combination of non-covalent and supramolecular interactions, with significant implications for the development of future (opto)electronic devices
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