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Echoes and ripples:a qualitative analysis of the relationship between social work supervision and home visits
Get PDFThe importance of supervision in social work is widely recognised, yet much remains unknown about the extent to which supervision influences social work practice and vice versa – and how. This qualitative study provides a detailed analysis of supervisory conversations and how they are reflected in subsequent practice conversations between social workers and people using services. Using an established framework for assessing the quality of supervision, we analysed five paired audio recordings of group supervision and home visits involving the same social worker and corresponding child and family. Through recursive abstraction, we identified key associations between the content and nature of discussions in supervision and discussions in the family home, as well as some notable discrepancies. These inconsistencies highlight the complexity of disentangling cause and effect within complex systems and suggest that the direction of influence may sometimes flow as much from practice to supervision as the other way around. Our findings contribute to the growing evidence base on the relationship between supervision and practice (in the form of home visits), underscoring the need for future research to include the perspectives of people using services and to explore other areas of social work practice and supervisory models
Gout flares, serum urate and seasonality:a descriptive cohort study
No full textAims: To investigate the relationship between serum urate levels and gout flares and how these vary at different times of the year.Methods: A cohort of people with incident gout was established using a large UK primary care database (Clinical Practice Research Database). Clinician-recorded gout flares and serum urate (SU) measurements were identified and described using joinpoint linear regression modelling. The relationship between SU level, flare frequency, month of the year and mean monthly temperatures was explored and correlations tested using Pearson correlation coefficients. Results: 249,157 individuals (mean follow up 6.7 years) experienced 417,101 flares and had 341,457 SU measurements (mean SU 437µmol/L, standard deviation (SD) 106µmol/L). SU levels peaked the day before a flare (487µmol/L). Mean SU in the year preceding a flare was 474µmol/L compared with 432µmol/L in the year post-flare. SU levels did not near pre-flare levels in the year following a flare. Flares were most frequent, and SU was highest, in the summer months (June to August). The correlation co-efficient between flares and months of the year was 0.94, whereas the correlation with temperature was less strong (0.70). Conclusions: SU measurement in the year following a gout flare is not indicative of the peak (pre-flare) SU levels that an individual may have experienced. Clinicians should consider this when considering SU measurements in the diagnosis of gout. Patients may find it helpful to be informed of the seasonality of gout flares and advised to take extra caution to reduce the risk of flares during summer months
Controlling the chaotic wake of a flapping foil by tuning its chordwise flexibility
No full textEffects of chord-wise flexibility as an instrument to control chaotic transitions in the wake of a flexible flapping foil have been studied here using an immersed boundary method-based in-house fluid–structure-interaction solver. The ability of the flapping foil at an optimum level of flexibility to inhibit chaotic transition, otherwise encountered in a similar but rigid configuration, has been highlighted. The rigid foil manifests chaotic transition through a quasi-periodic-intermittency route at high dynamic plunge velocities; whereas, increasing the level of flexibility gradually regularises the aperiodic behaviour through a variety of interesting wake patterns. If flexibility is increased beyond an optimum level, aperiodicity sets in again and robust chaos is restored at very high flexibility levels. The mechanisms of triggering the order-to-chaos transition are different between the rigid and the high flexibility cases. Along the route to order and back to chaos, the flexible foil exhibits different flow-field behaviours, including far-wake switching, primary & secondary vortex streets, bifurcated wakes and interactive vortices between the bifurcated wakes. The underlying interaction mechanisms of the flow-field vortices responsible for the associated dynamical signatures of the wake have been closely tracked. This study further examines the optimum propulsive performance range of the flexible flapper and investigates its connection with the periodicity/regularity of the system.</p
Environmentalism in the Nineteenth Century:Interdisciplinary Workshop, Hosted Online by the Centre for Nineteenth-Century Studies International, 26 April 2023
No full textThe impact of digital and non-digital knowledge search channels on innovation failure in constrained learning environments
No full textWe investigate the impact of digital and non-digital knowledge search channels on propensity to innovation failure of knowledge-creating, knowledge-using, and non-innovation firms in emerging innovation systems. Digital search channels reduce the risk of innovation failure only for knowledge-creating firms, indicating the importance of internal capabilities for knowledge absorption. They help overcome the limitations of the home market and access remote knowledge in a cost-effective manner. The study adds a new perspective to the literature on innovation failure and highlights the role of Internet-based technologies in the flow of knowledge between firms and their environments. It expands our understanding of the role of context in innovation outcomes and provides evidence-based inputs for the formulation of innovation strategies in contexts where learning opportunities are limited and the transition to innovation-driven competitiveness is high on the policy agenda.CONTRIBUTION TO KNOWLEDGE: This paper makes a significant contribution to international business and innovation scholarship by advancing understanding of how different knowledge search channels affect innovation failure, rather than success, in constrained learning environments. It shifts the analytical focus from innovation outcomes to the mechanisms and conditions that lead to failure, providing a more realistic and policy-relevant account of innovation processes in resource-constrained and institutionally complex contexts. The paper deepens IB theory by linking digitalisation, knowledge search strategies, and learning constraints at the firm level.ORIGINALITY: The paper is original in explicitly distinguishing between digital and non-digital knowledge search channels and analysing their differential effects on innovation failure. While prior research has largely treated knowledge search as uniformly beneficial, this study challenges that assumption by demonstrating that certain search strategies can increase the likelihood of failure under specific contextual constraints. This nuanced, contingency-based perspective offers novel theoretical insights into learning, innovation, and internationalisation in challenging environments.SIGNIFICANCE: The findings are highly significant for both scholarship and practice. For IB and innovation researchers, the paper refines theory on knowledge search and learning by incorporating failure and constraint as central analytical dimensions. For policymakers and practitioners, particularly in emerging and less-developed economies, the results provide actionable insights into how digitalisation strategies and knowledge acquisition policies should be designed to avoid unintended negative outcomes. The research informs innovation policy, firm strategy, and capability development in constrained contexts.RIGOUR: The paper demonstrates strong empirical rigour through the use of robust quantitative analysis based on firm-level data from constrained learning environments. The methodological approach is carefully specified, with clear operationalisation of key constructs and appropriate econometric techniques to address endogeneity and contextual heterogeneity. Analytical transparency and robustness checks ensure the reliability and credibility of the findings.LINK TO MY IMPACT: This output contributes directly to my impact narrative on responsible international business and inclusive innovation. By highlighting how digital and non-digital knowledge strategies affect innovation outcomes in constrained environments, the paper informs SDG-aligned objectives related to inclusive growth, innovation capacity, and reduced inequalities. It underpins policy-relevant engagement on how firms and governments can design responsible digitalisation and learning strategies that support sustainable development rather than exacerbate failure and exclusion
Investigating the relationship between collaborative design, online learning and educator integrated professional development
No full textThe global expansion of university-level online programmes has heightened the demand for educators to design and facilitate meaningful learning experiences. However, many educators lack the necessary expertise and experience, highlighting the urgency for contextually relevant professional development opportunities. This paper investigates the collaborative design processes of novice online educators and digital learning professionals when designing online learning and the conditions promoting educators’ development. A multiple case study methodology was employed, recruiting six interdisciplinary design teams from five UK-based universities. Data collection involved two phases of semi-structured interviews and design meeting observations. Findings evidence three key processes: (1) framing the design inquiry, (2) sharing and integrating insider knowledge and expertise, and (3) anticipating the future. Emotional support, skilled facilitation and valuing diverse perspectives acted as enabling conditions. We propose network-enabled and boundary-crossing capabilities as novel dimensions of educators’ development. This paper emphasises the need for purposeful collaborative design initiatives for integrated professional development.</p
Investigating the relationship between collaborative design, online learning and educator integrated professional development
No full textThe global expansion of university-level online programmes has heightened the demand for educators to design and facilitate meaningful learning experiences. However, many educators lack the necessary expertise and experience, highlighting the urgency for contextually relevant professional development opportunities. This paper investigates the collaborative design processes of novice online educators and digital learning professionals when designing online learning and the conditions promoting educators’ development. A multiple case study methodology was employed, recruiting six interdisciplinary design teams from five UK-based universities. Data collection involved two phases of semi-structured interviews and design meeting observations. Findings evidence three key processes: (1) framing the design inquiry, (2) sharing and integrating insider knowledge and expertise, and (3) anticipating the future. Emotional support, skilled facilitation and valuing diverse perspectives acted as enabling conditions. We propose network-enabled and boundary-crossing capabilities as novel dimensions of educators’ development. This paper emphasises the need for purposeful collaborative design initiatives for integrated professional development.</p
Application of thermoelectric generators and organic Rankine cycle combined system for cold exergy recovery from liquefied natural gas
No full textAs thermoelectric generators (TEGs) improve in techno-economic performance, their role in energy recovery becomes increasingly significant. This research evaluates the integration of TEG modules into three conventional liquefied natural gas (LNG) cold exergy recovery systems: direct expansion (DE), organic Rankine cycle (ORC)-DE combined, and double ORC-DE combined system. And the TEG condenser-TEG-double ORC DE combined system is proposed. The influences of key design parameters, including working fluid selection, ORC condensation temperature, LNG high-pressure, TEG installation position, and the number of TEG modules, on cold exergy recovery efficiency and levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) are assessed. The results reveal that to achieve the highest efficiency, R290 is the optimal working fluid for the single ORC system, and a combination of R1150 and R290 is best for the double ORC system; the optimal condensation temperature of working fluids is 169 K for R1150 and 231 K for R290; optimal LNG pressure is 120 bar for the DE and TEG-DE systems and 75 bar for the others; installing TEG as the ORC condenser yields higher efficiency. Besides, multi-objective optimization results reveal that the TEG-DE system has the lowest LCOE of 0.161 /kWh.</p
Oriented naphthalene-O-propylammonium based (NOP)<sub>4</sub>AuB<sup>III</sup>I<sub>8</sub> (B = Au, Bi, Sb) Ruddlesden-Popper Two-Dimensional Gold Double Perovskite Thin Films Featuring High Charge Carrier Mobility
No full textTwo-dimensional perovskites show intriguing optoelectronic properties due to their anisotropic structure and multiple quantum well structure. Here, we report the first three gold-based Ruddlesden–Popper type two-dimensional double perovskites with a general formula (NOP)4AuIBIIII8 (B = Au, Bi, Sb) employing naphthalene-O-propylammonium (NOP) as an organic cation. They were found to form highly crystalline thin films on various substrates, predominantly oriented in the [001] direction featuring continuous, crack-free film areas on the μm2 scale. The thin films show strong optical absorption in the visible region, with band gap energies between 1.48 and 2.32 eV. Density functional theory calculations support the experimentally obtained band gap energies and predict high charge-carrier mobilities and effective charge separation. A comprehensive study with time-resolved microwave conductivity (TRMC) and optical-pump-THz-probe (OPTP) spectroscopy revealed high charge-carrier mobilities for lead-free two-dimensional perovskites of 4.0 ± 0.2 cm2(V s)−1 and charge-carrier lifetimes in the range of μs. Photoconductivity measurements under 1 sun illumination demonstrated the material’s application as a photodetector, showing a 2-fold increase in conductivity when exposed to light
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