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Truth
No full textThis chapter explores the pivotal role of truth in transitional justice, focusing on the right to truth as a fundamental aspect of accountability for human rights violations. It examines the processes by which historical facts are uncovered, connecting the recovery of truth to broader objectives like justice, reconciliation, and non-repetition. The chapter delves into the complex relationship between state actors, private corporations—particularly in the technology sector—and their involvement in suppressing human rights. Emphasis is placed on the role of technology in both enhancing and complicating truth recovery, highlighting how digital surveillance tools can either facilitate investigations or obstruct justice. The chapter also analyzes archives and truth commissions as essential yet contested mechanisms for revealing the truth, considering the challenges posed by surveillance capitalism and the influence of corporate interests on transitional justice efforts in the digital age.</p
The ARUTIS Study (Anglia Ruskin University Trial of the Intuitive System): a single-centre, double-masked randomised controlled crossover trial of precision tinted lenses for visual stress: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
No full textAbstract
Background
Visual stress (VS), a condition affecting approximately 20% of children with reading difficulties that is alleviated with individually prescribed coloured filters, remains controversial. The purpose of the Anglia Ruskin University Trial of the Intuitive System (ARUTIS) is to investigate the effect of wearing precision tinted lenses (PTL) prescribed by the Intuitive System (IS) in children with VS using a double-masked crossover design.
Methods
A total of 120 participants aged 9–18 years meeting diagnostic criteria for VS will be recruited from the Anglia Ruskin University Eye Clinic. A widely used instrument, the Intuitive Colorimeter, will be used to select, for each participant, the chromaticity of precision tinted lenses (PTL) that they claim optimally alleviates their symptoms and a similar control colour will also be determined. Participants will be randomised into group 1, receiving spectacles with intervention A (optimal tint) followed by B (sub-optimal tint), or group 2, receiving the two interventions in the order BA. The first intervention will be used for 1 month, followed by a 1-month washout period, the second intervention for 1 month, and then a head-to-head comparison in the clinic with participants invited to keep their preferred pair of spectacles. The primary outcome measurement is symptoms (measured by symptom diaries and symptom questionnaires); the secondary outcome measure is observed school performance (measured by academic behaviour surveys); and the tertiary outcome measure will be reading speed (measured by the WRRT).
Discussion
Reviews on VS have reached contradictory conclusions, noting the need for stronger evidence. This trial will be the first in children to use modern diagnostic criteria and will strengthen the evidence base concerning the widespread but still controversial use of coloured filters for children with VS who struggle to read.
Trial registration
Prospectively registered to clinicaltrials.gov on 17th October 2023 with a unique protocol ID of ETH2223-7100.</p
The network structure of social play: insights into group cohesion and dynamics from mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata)
No full textSocial networks formed via play interactions offer a powerful framework for investigating the social dynamics of animals and the functions of play behavior. Using this framework in mantled howler monkeys ( Alouatta palliata ), we examined whether social play might fulfil some of the affiliative and bonding functions typically addressed to allogrooming. We analyzed play networks in seven groups of mantled howler monkeys (89 individuals), analyzing group and individual-level patterns based on 1774 observation hours collected over approximately 3 years. We examined the relationship between group size and network complexity using edge density (the proportion of connections), modularity (the degree to which the network is subdivided into clusters), and average path lengths (the number of steps required to reach others in the network). We analyzed centrality across age-sex classes using betweenness, closeness, and eigenvector metrics. We tested which centrality measure best predicted play evenness, defined as the degree to which individuals distributed their playtime across partners. We found that network interconnectivity generally declined with group size, though average path lengths were not significantly different from those of random networks. Immatures showed the highest centrality values, while adult females exhibited the highest play evenness. However, centrality measures did not significantly predict play evenness. These patterns suggest age-specific functions of social play: immatures may benefit from frequent play to support development, while adult females may use evenly distributed play to navigate social competition. Our findings support the hypothesis that social play serves similar functions to allogrooming, contributing to social bonding.</p
Game-Based Approach to Teaching and Learning in Optometry Education
No full textGame technologies have the potential to shift health education towards experiential learning by offering a highly realistic learning experience while facilitating student engagement and enabling students’ practice and prepare for complex real-world situations and clinical decision making. This paper described the development of a gamified technology for teaching and learning red eye-pupillary reflexes for use in Optometry education. The game was developed using Autodesk Maya, ZBrush, and Photoshop. The eye model design explicitly showed the anterior iris as well as pupillary reflexes (dilation and constriction) and red eye reflexes via an interactive 3D-simulation. The RedEye Game is an innovative strategy suitable to provide a realistic display of red eye signs and pupillary reflexes in a controlled environment. The RedEye Game can support the training of optometry students by delivering and reinforcing critical knowledge and concepts while providing educators with new strategies to supplement traditional education approaches.</p
Good guardian, bad parent: tradeoffs between territory defense and parental care in Darwin's finches
No full textAlthough defending a territory may benefit individuals by allowing them to retain important resources, the time and energy costs associated with territory defense may lead territory owners to neglect other reproductively important behaviors. In this study, we assessed the potential tradeoff between territory defense and parental care in 4 Darwin's finch species on Floreana Island, Galápagos. Using song playback, we simulated territory intrusions to measure male aggressiveness across multiple stages of the breeding cycle (unpaired, paired, incubating, and chick feeding). To quantify parental care at each nest, we conducted 1-h observations to record the frequency of male food deliveries and the duration of female incubation and brooding. Male aggressiveness toward a perceived intruder did not change across the breeding cycle and was highly repeatable (adjusted R = 0.597), although responses became less vocal across the breeding cycle. A male's aggressiveness did not predict his frequency of food deliveries during incubation or chick feeding, although females paired with more aggressive males spent significantly less time incubating. This finding provides weak evidence for a tradeoff between territory defense and parental care, although the behavioral mechanisms mediating this relationship remain uncertain. Finally, males with aggressive and nonaggressive behavioral phenotypes did not differ in their hatching success, although additional work is needed to assess other measures of individual fitness.</p
Workshop Report: Regulation and Public Decision Making in Geothermal Energy
No full textThe potential for geothermal energy resources to play a key part in reaching the UK’s Net Zero target is significant (Abesser et al., 2020). However, geothermal energy developments are yet to take-off in the UK. In July 2022, the “Underground energy on the ground” project hosted a workshop in London with academic, industry and policy representatives. International speakers from the Netherlands, Republic of Ireland (ROI) and Italy gave their country-perspective on geothermal energy resources, focusing on the themes of regulations, community engagement, and driving a national agenda. The Underground energy on the ground team shared their preliminary findings from research in the UK on regulations and engagement within the ‘deep’ geothermal sector. Through the presentations and interactive sessions, the following set of key messages emerged: • Financial support (e.g., financial incentives; risk mitigation and insurance schemes), coordinated and supported by government is needed. This should be on a phased basis with supports for pilot projects to demonstrate feasibility and encourage financial investment. • Comprehensive regulation, identifying the regulators and a clear scheme for how the regulations are implemented and revisited as the sector progresses are required. • Good practices of community engagement need further development: collaborative, transparent, inclusive and informative engagement throughout the lifespan of geothermal developments will be key to building trust in the technology, the sector, regulators and policy-makers alike. • Further data, as well as sharing of data between operators but also with academics, governments and the public are needed. Who should be producing the data and where it should be held, and whether this should be an obligation are important questions to be addressed. • Creating an environment which values collaboration, including collaborations across the energy sector (i.e., cross-technologies), can help facilitate data sharing and enable the transdisciplinary policy, regulation, industry, and academic research necessary to ensure the role of geothermal energy in the UK’s future energy mix.</p
Prospective association of device-based physical activity and sedentary time during childhood with mental health outcomes during adolescence
No full textNo description supplied</p
Global epidemiology of vaccine-associated intussusception in children and adolescents, 1968-2024: a international pharmacovigilance study
No full textNo description supplied</p
Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is associated with lower odds of backache in children and adolescents: A multinational analysis over 19 years
No full textNo description supplied</p
How do large charities conduct donor retention strategies, processes and tools? A dynamic capabilities perspective
No full textAddressing Donor Retention Challenges in Large Nonprofit Organisations (NPOs)Donor retention remains a complex and multifaceted issue within large Nonprofit organisations (NPOS), significantly influenced by dynamic capabilities and strategic donor engagement frameworks (Teece, Pisano and Shuen, 1997; Cropanzano and Mitchell, 2005; Sargeant and Shang, 2016). High donor attrition rates persistently challenge NPOs, underscoring the pressing need for systematic, theory-driven strategies tailored to nonprofit environments (Enchil, 2020; Blackbaud Institute, 2021; Nonprofit Source, 2023). By drawing on theoretical constructs from the for-profit sector, including Dynamic Capabilities (DC) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM), this research seeks to offer practical approaches for enhancing donor loyalty and retention in large NPOS (Eisenhardt and Martin, 2000; Sargeant and Jay, 2014; Maclean and Harvey, 2020).This research integrates insights from dynamic capabilities theory, which emphasises the importance of sensing opportunities, seizing them, and reconfiguring organisational resources, which allows for enhancing relational and strategic strategies to adapt to evolving donor expectations (Zollo and Winter, 2002; Teece, 2007; Maier, Meyer and Steinbereithner, 2016; Sargeant and Shang, 2024). Simultaneously, it applies concepts of value co-creation, acknowledging that donor engagement is not merely transactional but relational, requiring reciprocal value exchange and trust-building mechanisms to sustain long-term commitment (Prahalad and Ramaswamy, 2004; Cropanzano and Mitchell, 2005; Sargeant and Shang, 2017). The research highlights Donor Relationship Management (DRM) as a strategic toolkit enabling personalised communication, targeted engagement, and transparent reporting, all of which align with donor expectations for meaningful, mission-driven involvement and increased in donor retention (Waters, 2011; Lovejoy and Saxton, 2012; Wymer and Rundle-Thiele, 2016; Jameson, 2017).This research used a qualitative methodology to analyse structured interview transcripts, social media reports, and annual report pages (including financial reports). This extensive data set ensures data saturation, methodological triangulation, and thematic depth, critical for academic rigour in qualitative research. As Denzin (2012) and Flick (2018) advocate, methodological triangulation enhances the reliability and validity of findings by integrating multiple data sources, thereby reducing bias and capturing the complexity of organisational donor engagement dynamics. Braun and Clarke (2006) also outlined that thematic analysis requires extensive coding of large datasets to uncover meaningful patterns, ensuring that the research captures the full breadth and depth of the phenomena (Saunders, 2023).Key findings indicate that incorporating dynamic capabilities processes with donor retention strategies enables ongoing refinement of engagement methods, personalisation of donor experiences, and responsiveness to shifting donor values and technological advancements (Levine and Zahradnik, 2012; Salunke, Weerawardena and McColl-Kennedy, 2019; Wang and Zhou, 2022). By introducing the Donor Retention Dynamic Capabilities Framework (DRDCF), this research provides a strategic framework that NPOS can customise and adapt to the dynamic environment. The DRM is intertwined with the framework, enabling value creation and co-creation processes to cater to donors’ unique needs and demographics (Teece, Pisano and Shuen, 1997; Sargeant and Shang, 2017; Morgan et al., 2019).Theoretically, this research bridges dynamic capabilities theories with donor retention constructs, such as trust, involvement, loyalty and retention, enhancing the conceptual understanding of sustainable donor retention and engagement strategies. Practically, it offers nonprofit practitioners’ actionable phases for implementing adaptive, innovation-driven retention approaches that leverage emerging digital tools, co-creation principles, and relational management to ensure long-term donor support and financial viability.Ultimately, by examining donor retention through the lenses of dynamic capabilities, this research provides actionable insights that support sustained mission fulfilment and resilience in an increasingly competitive nonprofit landscape. This research contributes to academic discourse and equips nonprofit practitioners with the tools to foster enduring donor relationships and ensure the financial stability essential for mission-driven success.</p
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