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From pressure to potential: how SMES leverage blockchain for sustainability under institutional, paradoxical, and resource constraints
No full textBlockchain technology (BCT) has garnered significant attention as a catalyst for advancing sustainability in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, extant research has often relied on single-theory perspectives or has emphasized either technological potential or compliance imperatives, thereby overlooking the complex and context-dependent nature of BCT adoption. This study develops an integrative conceptual framework that synthesizes institutional theory, paradox theory, and the resource-based (RBV)view to elucidate the dynamics underpinning BCT adoption for sustainability in SMEs. The framework posits that adoption is not solely driven by external institutional pressures such as regulatory, normative, and mimetic forces but is fundamentally facilitated by the internal paradoxical tensions SMEs face and their distinctive organizational resources and capabilities. By highlighting the coexistence of opportunity and risk including enhanced transparency, traceability, technical complexity, and environmental impacts this study reveals that SME blockchain adoption is best understood as a dynamic, non-linear, and context-sensitive process. The framework advances the literature by demonstrating how the ability to navigate institutional and paradoxical pressures is contingent upon firm-level learning orientation, adaptive capacity, and resource endowments
The psychosocial needs of people with dementia living alone: a narrative synthesis systematic review
Get PDFThe number of people with dementia living alone is predicted to double by 2039. People with dementia may live alone through choice and others due to life events like bereavement. There are unique challenges to living alone for people with dementia, their care partners and services supporting those individuals. The current review sought to summarise the psychosocial needs reported by people with dementia who live alone. Searches were completed accessing Academic Search Ultimate, MEDLINE, CINAHL Ultimate, APA PsycArticles and APA PsycInfo. Eligible articles explored the needs or experiences of people with dementia living alone through qualitative or mixed methods. The data was synthesized narratively, and the National Institute of Care and Health Excellence’s quality appraisal checklist was used to assess all included studies. Needs were identified across all domains of Kitwood’s model; love, identity, attachment, inclusion, occupation and comfort. The data revealed overlapping needs between those with dementia who live alone and those who live with others but importantly, needs that were distinct or exacerbated by living alone with dementia. Specifically, threat to personhood without others to maintain stories about identity and the management of living at home with the recognition that this would eventually end. The heterogeneity of people with dementia who live alone was highlighted and the gaps in the representation of the needs of specific groups in the research were considered such as individuals from the LGBTQ + community. Thus, the need for an intersectional and person-centred approach to future research and clinical practice was discussed
Holistic nursing considerations when conducting nutritional assessment in a community setting
No full textMalnutrition is a significant public health issue in the UK, particularly impacting older adults in community settings, affecting quality of life, healthcare costs, and patient outcomes (Age UK, 2023a). This article highlights the importance of a comprehensive nutritional assessment that considers biological, psychological, and social factors. Community nurses play a vital role in identifying malnutrition risks by going beyond traditional screening tools and incorporating patient-specific observations. Their unique access to patients' living environments enables them to apply clinical judgement and detect early signs and risks for malnutrition. By combining validated assessment tools with a holistic approach, nurses can develop tailored care plans addressing both immediate deficiencies and broader lifestyle factors. A thorough, person-centered approach is essential for promoting preventative care and improving nutritional outcomes for older adults in community settings, ensuring proactive and comprehensive care
‘It would be better if you had a UK degree’: exploring the experiences of highly-skilled refugee women in the UK
Get PDFThis study explores the employment challenges faced by highly-skilled refugee women in the UK, a group often overlooked in research and policy. Despite their qualifications and experience, these women encounter significant personal and structural barriers. Here, we report on nine qualitative interviews with highly-skilled refugee women in the UK. Drawing on thematic analysis, we examine the personal and structural barriers encountered by these women throughout their displacement trajectories, including feelings of inadequacy and systemic inequalities. The lens of Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality allows us to unpack the multiple factors that can result in compounded disadvantages for displaced women
‘Duddy as a Mayan Indian and Bobby with the Jaguar cub’: Audrey Granville Soames (1900-1990) and early post-colonial participatory media
Get PDFLondon born Audrey Granville Soames came to amateur filmmaking through her second marriage in 1937 to Ronald Sloane Stanley, during the course of which she elevated her social position from the middle class to the upper echelons of British society. With this new sense of social mobility there was a resultant geographical freedom. As she travelled the world her camera trained in the populist model, mimicked and proliferated post-colonial imagery she had consumed as a member of the audience viewing Pathé newsreels and British Movietone news bulletins. Familiar tropes embedded in her subconscious, are teased out in her work as she, a new entrant to the social group with which she was travelling, adopts the gaze of a colonial ethnographer, tempered with a desire to integrate and ingratiate herself with her new peers.
This paper will explore how early participatory technologies, much like those available today facilitated expressions of creativity within and outside of societal expectations. I will consider how popular forms of media consumption shaped Audrey’s filmmaking practice and consider how her gender has impacted how her work has been archived and discussed. Furthermore, I consider the tricky position of women amateur filmmakers such as Audrey Granville Soames whose international work falls awkwardly outside of the collecting remit of UK regional film archives; and consider, whose history is most at risk of being lost if we continue to value amateur film for local evidentiary qualities alone. Does Audrey’s work fit within a broader field of practice of British colonial women amateurs (Motrescu-Mayes, 2011, 2012; Motrescu-Mayes and Norris Nicholson, 2018), or do her working-class roots betray a more specific positionality
Reimagining dementia care: a complex intervention systematic review on optimising Social Prescribing (SP) for carers of People Living With Dementia (PLWD) in the United Kingdom.
Get PDFIntroduction: Carers of people living with dementia (PLWD) face a range of complex needs, including medical, emotional, social and practical challenges, often exacerbated by social isolation and barriers to accessing support. Social prescribing (SP) addresses these needs by increasing access to non‐clinical support and services. However, existing research lacks detailed descriptions of SP interventions for carers of PLWD, with limited understanding of the needs they target, the reasons for participation, their effectiveness and their potential to improve outcomes for carers of PLWD.
Methods: A complex intervention systematic review of SP for carers of PLWD was undertaken using iterative logic modelling and reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis (PRISMA‐CI) extension statement and checklist. Six databases and grey literature were searched, supplemented by hand searching reference lists of included studies. Results were screened in a two‐step process, followed by data extraction. Gough's Weight of Evidence Framework was used to assess the risk of bias in the included studies.
Results: Fifty‐two studies were included. Findings indicated SP for carers of PLWD in the United Kingdom is varied and operates in a largely uncoordinated process involving initiation by diverse stakeholders and institutions across multiple sectors. The classification of SP interventions for carers of PLWD is inconsistent, and participation is often opportunistic. Positive outcomes included improved carer mood, social connections, practical support, quality of life and better PLWD–carer relationships. However, negative outcomes were associated with intervention suitability, emotional impact, relevance and strained PLWD–carer relationships.
Discussion: While the evidence suggests SP is a promising intervention for carers of PLWD, its long‐term impacts, challenges of tailoring prescriptions to carers' needs and overcoming logistical issues remain. Additionally, further research is required to evaluate long‐term impact, investigate specific mechanisms to tailor SP to specific carer needs and explore in greater detail the PLWD–carer relationship and its effects on SP uptake and maintenance. Patient and Public Contributions: A PPI advisory group was involved in the review, including providing insights into review questions, the logic model, findings and results. The group consisted of one person living with dementia and a caregiver
Improving disaster preparedness of families: “Keluargasiaga” application development.
Get PDFIndonesia, located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, is highly vulnerable to various natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, and volcanic eruptions. Despite significant efforts to mitigate risks, family preparedness in facing disasters remains inadequate, particularly in terms of access to relevant information and training. To address this gap, this study developed "Keluargasiaga," a web-based application designed to enhance family disaster preparedness through self assessment and educational features. The application integrates two core components: (1) a self assessment tool called KAGANA (Family Disaster Preparedness), which evaluates general family readiness, and (2) educational modules, including E-Ben (Disaster Awareness Education), E-PDB (Early Disaster Warning Education), E-PEDE (Self-Rescue Education), E-VAPER (Evacuation and First Aid Education), and KITANA (Disaster Preparedness Kit). These modules provide families with essential knowledge and skills to prepare for and respond to disasters effectively. The development of "Keluargasiaga" followed the ADDIE model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation). After development, the application underwent functionality testing with 15 families around Universitas Pembangunan Nasional “Veteran” Jawa Timur. Feedback indicated that the platform was easy to use, visually appealing, and provided clear and understandable content. All participants rated the application highly in terms of user friendliness, design, information quality, and overall satisfaction. By enabling families to assess their preparedness and engage in self-education, "Keluargasiaga" aims to empower households to create disaster-resilient environments. This application has the potential to contribute
significantly to disaster risk reduction efforts in Indonesia and strengthen community resilience
Optimising sustainable alkali-activated mortar: experimental work and machine learning predictions
No full textThis pioneering research involved an in-depth experimental evaluation of the mechanical properties of ambient-cured alkali-activated mortar (AAM), while assessing an innovative machine learning (ML) driven solution for sustainable construction. A comprehensive dataset was used, comprising 635 compressive strength and 94 flexural strength data points, including data from previous studies. The performance of six ML algorithms in predicting the compressive and flexural strengths of AAM was evaluated. Hyperparameter optimisation was performed with Optuna and ten-fold cross-validation. Multi-objective optimisation aimed to maximise compressive strength while minimising the carbon dioxide footprint. The findings highlight the significant impact of ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) content on strength, with higher GGBS improving compressive and flexural strengths but reducing workability. The highest compressive strength was 56.28 MPa at 28 days, for the AAM with 100% GGBS. The highest flexural strength was 0.580 MPa at 28 days, with 75% GGBS. Extreme gradient boosting was found to be the most reliable model in predicting the compressive strength, achieving a coefficient of determination (R2) of 98.1% on training data and 86.8% on testing data. Extra tree regression showed high accuracy in predicting the flexural strength of the AAM, achieving R2 = 90% on the testing dataset. A user-friendly interface was developed for predicting the mechanical properties of AAMs
Editorial: Repurposing cancer immunotherapies for use in autoimmunity and transplantation
No full textCancer immunotherapy has reshaped modern medicine, providing new hope to patients by mobilizing the immune system to eliminate malignancies with potency and precision. While these therapies were originally designed to enhance immune responses against tumors, recent years have seen a transformative shift in the application of their underlying technology, with many of these pro-inflammatory and cytotoxic tools now being repurposed in a new array of diseases to achieve the opposite effect: immune tolerance. This Research Topic, Repurposing Cancer Immunotherapies for Use in Autoimmunity and Transplantation, brings together a Research Topic of pioneering studies and reviews offering proof-of-concept studies, new mechanistic insights, and translational outlooks on how lessons learned from immuno-oncology are being repurposed to suppress, rather than stimulate, the immune system to establish tolerance in autoimmune disease, organ transplant rejection, graft-vs-host disease, and chronic inflammatio
Optimisation of glass and carbon fibre-reinforced concrete with external enzymatic self-healing: an experimental and environmental impact study
Get PDFThis study evaluates glass and carbon fibre-reinforced concrete in terms of performance,
durability, environmental impact, and a novel enzymatic self-healing method. An experimental
program was conducted on seven concrete mixes, including a plain control
and mixes with varying dosages of glass and carbon fibres. Glass and carbon fibres were
incorporated at identical dosages of 0.12%, 0.22%, and 0.43% fibre volume fraction (Vf ) to
enable direct comparison of their performance. The experimental investigation involved
a comprehensive characterization of the concrete mixes. Fresh properties were evaluated
via slump tests, while hardened properties were determined through compressive and
split tensile strength testing. Durability was subsequently assessed by measuring the
rate of water absorption, bulk density, and moisture content. Following this material
characterization, a cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was conducted to quantify
the embodied carbon and energy. Finally, an evaluation of a novel Carbonic Anhydrase
(CA)-based self-healing treatment on pre-cracked, optimised fibre-reinforced specimens
was conducted. The findings highlight key performance trade-offs associated with fibre
reinforcement. Although both fibre types reduced compressive strength, they markedly
improved split tensile strength for glass fibres by up to 70% and carbon fibres by up to 35%.
Durability responses diverged: glass fibres increased water absorption, while carbon fibres
reduced water absorption at low doses, indicating reduced permeability. LCA showed a
significant rise in environmental impact, particularly for carbon fibres, which increased
embodied energy by up to 141%. The CA enzymatic solution enhanced crack closure in
fibre-reinforced specimens, achieving up to 30% healing in carbon fibre composites. These
findings suggest that fibre-reinforced enzymatic self-healing concrete offers potential for
targeted high-durability applications but requires careful life-cycle optimisation