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Navigating the uncharted: a crisis response mix to creeping ‘unknowns’
Get PDFCreeping crises have received limited attention in crisis management. With a backdrop of COVID-19, we explore how tourism organisations can address unprecedented creeping crises. We propose and test a creeping crisis response matrix qualitatively and quantitatively by analysing 108 earnings calls from 22 hotel groups covering the first 16 months of the pandemic. Some cannot detect creeping crises during the incubation periods or the later re-emergence, whereas early exposure gives an advantage in crisis response. Contrary to conventional wisdom, organisational responses to unknown crises are not always reactive, with organisations deploying a varied mix of responses (reactive, adaptive, protective and proactive) even in the early stages of a crisis. As the framing of the crisis improves, crisis responses shift from survival to full-on experimentation, to response by design and then to response by protocol. The proposed matrix can be used as a response roadmap for navigating future, unknown, creeping crises
Advanced therapy medicinal products for age-related macular degeneration; scaffold fabrication and delivery methods
Get PDFRetinal degenerative diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) represent a leading cause of blindness, resulting in permanent damage to retinal cells that are essential for maintaining normal vision. Around 12% of people over the age of 65 have some form of retinal degenerative disease. Whilst antibody-based drugs have revolutionised treatment of neovascular AMD, they are only effective at an early stage and cannot prevent eventual progression or allow recovery of previously lost vision. Hence, there is a clear unmet need to find innovative treatment strategies to develop a long-term cure. The replacement of damaged retinal cells is thought to be the best therapeutic strategy for the treatment of patients with retinal degeneration. Advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) are a group of innovative and complex biological products including cell therapy medicinal products, gene therapy medicinal products, and tissue engineered products. Development of ATMPs for the treatment of retinal degeneration diseases has become a fast-growing field of research because it offers the potential to replace damaged retinal cells for long-term treatment of AMD. While gene therapy has shown encouraging results, its effectiveness for treatment of retinal disease may be hampered by the body’s response and problems associated with inflammation in the eye. In this mini-review, we focus on describing ATMP approaches including cell- and gene-based therapies for treatment of AMD along with their applications. We also aim to provide a brief overview of biological substitutes, also known as scaffolds, that can be used for delivery of cells to the target tissue and describe biomechanical properties required for optimal delivery. We describe different fabrication methods for preparing cell-scaffolds and explain how the use of artificial intelligence (AI) can aid with the process. We predict that combining AI with 3D bioprinting for 3D cell-scaffold fabrication could potentially revolutionise retinal tissue engineering and open up new opportunities for developing innovative platforms to deliver therapeutic agents to the target tissues
A comprehensive platform for air pollution control system operation in smart cities of developing countries: a case study of Tehran
No full textControlling air pollution in megacities is crucial from both a health and environmental perspective. Air pollution is a pervasive problem in these densely populated cities and must be effectively managed to promote sustainability. This study presents a framework for the intelligent management of air pollution control systems in developing nations. The framework was developed through the use of an expert agreement model involving five managers from Tehran. The results indicate that the Decision Support System (DSS) is equipped with calibrated sensors for monitoring air quality. Additionally, the concentration of air pollutants can be determined through the application of machine learning algorithms and the analysis of historical data. Rapid response methods are then applied to mitigate the acute and chronic effects of air pollution. The DSS also incorporates citizens' feedback to evaluate the effectiveness of air pollution control measures. Implementing this model in developing nations' smart cities can help achieve several of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as good health and well-being, sustainable cities and communities, climate action, and life on land
Screening older age: The representation of older adults in British cinema between 2010 and 2022
Get PDFCommissioned by the Centre for Ageing Better, this study has three research objectives:
(i) To investigate how older adults—that is, those aged 50 years and over—are currently represented in British cinema;
(ii) to trace how this representation might have changed since 2010; and
(iii) to assess the ‘authenticity’ of the current representation
Current and future roles of intellectual disability nurses
No full textWithin the arena of an ever-changing context of health and social care that is dictated by political imperatives at policy level, both nationally and internationally, and with the ever-growing move toward citizenship, and the importance of human rights, intellectual disability nursing needs to place itself carefully—within the family of nursing and within a complex landscape of human service organisations, as well as the wider community of intellectual disabilities.
This chapter briefly reflects on the past but most importantly looks at the present and to the future of the modern intellectual disability nurse practitioner. It discusses issues affecting intellectual disability nursing, such as changing professional requirements, policy directions such as: Strengthening the Commitment (Scottish Government, 2012), and ever-growing opportunities for intellectual disability nurses to assert themselves in a widening practice arena.
Therefore, this chapter, focuses on the knowledge and practical skills that intellectual disability nurses will need to meet the needs of people with intellectual disabilities now and in the future, and this will be contextualised within the Nursing and Midwifery Council for the United Kingdom’s Future nurse standards (NMC, 2018) and Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (2016) standards and requirements for competence. The future of intellectual disability nursing is discussed in the context of policy directions, emerging roles, and intellectual disability nurses’ clinical and other expertise, and their ability as individuals and as a profession to adapt, and work effectively in multidisciplinary and interagency settings. In this chapter we present a wide range of research evidence that demonstrates the unique contributions of intellectual disability nurses
Antimicrobial resistance in fresh produce production in Africa
Get PDFFresh produce, consisting of fruits and vegetables, is increasingly recognised and promoted as essential components of a healthy diet. Since fresh produce are minimally processed and consumed raw for the most part, humans may be infected with antimicrobial-resistant bacteria through fresh produce consumption. Fresh produce consumption has increased significantly in Africa in recent decades, and they represent a significant vehicle for the transmission of pathogenic and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria to humans. This poses a risk to public health, a risk which is often underappreciated in many countries. Therefore, this chapter presents a comprehensive overview of the current information on pathogenic- and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in fresh produce in Africa, examines relevant factors contributing to the microbial contamination of fresh produce and discusses recommendations to support stakeholders in taking appropriate steps to improve the safety of the fresh produce chain in Africa
Bioengineering of antibody fragments: challenges and opportunities
Get PDFAntibody fragments are used in the clinic as important therapeutic proteins for treatment of indications where better tissue penetration and less immunogenic molecules are needed. Several expression platforms have been employed for the production of these recombinant proteins, from which E. coli and CHO cell-based systems have emerged as the most promising hosts for higher expression. Because antibody fragments such as Fabs and scFvs are smaller than traditional antibody structures and do not require specific patterns of glycosylation decoration for therapeutic efficacy, it is possible to express them in systems with reduced post-translational modification capacity and high expression yield, for example, in plant and insect cell-based systems. In this review, we describe different bioengineering technologies along with their opportunities and difficulties to manufacture antibody fragments with consideration of stability, efficacy and safety for humans. There is still potential for a new production technology with a view of being simple, fast and cost-effective while maintaining the stability and efficacy of biotherapeutic fragments
A novel dynamic pricing model for a microgrid of prosumers with photovoltaic systems
Get PDFDue to the growing demand for electricity and the increasing number of consumers who can produce energy (prosumers) using photovoltaic systems today, energy generated by prosumers can be utilized in the microgrid instead of selling it to the main utility grid. Pricing is one of the most important mechanisms for motivating prosumers to interact with each other in the microgrid. Many works have proposed different pricing models that mostly focus on optimizing prosumers’ behavior and energy usage costs. However, most of the proposed models require constant involvement of the end-user to adjust energy consumption profiles, which is not always possible in a real-world scenario. In this paper, a novel pricing model is presented with the aim of maximizing the utilization of energy generated in the microgrid and reducing the import of energy from the utility grid, whereas ensuring more beneficial prices for energy within the microgrid compared with the utility grid. Mathematical models based on the supply and demand ratio and prosumers’ absolute deviation from the predicted energy usage profiles are developed to determine the internal equilibrium price and the amount of energy each prosumer can buy and sell by interacting with the microgrid. To cover the energy transfer losses in the microgrid, a dynamic loss allocation mechanism is proposed. The proposed pricing model is validated using real energy usage profiles from 100 prosumers. The results show that the total energy usage cost can be decreased, whereas the amount of unused energy that is shared outside the microgrid is minimized
A new multi-criteria framework to identify optimal detention ponds in urban drainage systems
Get PDFUrban development broadly impacts the hydrological cycle, leading to increased peak flow and flooding. Surface water detention ponds are among the most efficient measures for attenuating peak flow and returning it from development to pre-development conditions. However, the major challenge is identifying optimal locations and cost-effective designs for these ponds. This paper presents a new framework for identifying the best strategies for using detention ponds to control floods in urban drainage systems (UDS). The framework comprises a portfolio of simulation tools coupled with evolutionary optimisation and multi-criteria decision analysis models. Hydraulic simulation of UDS is first modelled using SWMM and GIS tools. A multi-objective optimisation model was used to find the optimal location and design for detention ponds. The compromise programming (CP) multi-criteria decision-making method was then used to prioritise potential best management solutions for detention ponds based on several sustainability criteria comprising economic, environmental, physiographic and social factors. The results identified the key features of potential detention ponds appearing in all multi-objective optimal solutions that are useful for decision-makers/designers when planning/designing for new detention ponds. The selected optimal pond strategies can significantly improve the UDS performance by decreasing flood damage between 66% and 90% at the cost of between 160,000
Beyond Economics! The (Evolving) Role of Law in the Eradication of Extreme Poverty
Get PDFExtreme poverty is a complex and multifaceted challenge that cannot be solely addressed through economic interventions. Traditional economic indicators, such as GDP, do not fully capture the realities of vulnerable populations who often experience discrimination and social exclusion. This has legal and human rights implications, particularly in regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa where extreme poverty is concentrated. In light of these concerns, this article critically examines the existing literature on poverty economics and law and presents an analysis of key data. Ultimately, the article argues for a comprehensive approach that prioritises law and justice as crucial components of efforts to achieve target 1 of the United Nations’ Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. This approach should entail the establishment of legal frameworks that promote accountability for political actors and protect the rights of the poor