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Environmental CSR, customer equity drivers and travellers’ critical outcomes: a stimulus-organism-response framework
Get PDFWhile environmental corporate social responsibility (CSR) has gained increased attention in sustainable tourism research, little is known about its impacts on customers in the context of the airlines. This study investigates the impact of environmental CSR on two critical customer outcomes namely purchase intention (PI) and switching behaviour (SB). In light of the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) framework, this study further examines the joint mediating impact of customer equity drivers (CEDs) in the previously mentioned relationships. With a sample of Iranian air travellers, the results of the structural equation model revealed that environmental CSR significantly affects CEDs. While CEDs predict PI, they failed to reduce SB. Hence, CEDs jointly mediate the impact of environmental CSR on PI only. The results of the current study revealed nuances to the service marketing research by extending the impact of environmental CSR on travellers' PI and SB via CEDs. Theoretical and practical implications are provided
GEN1 promotes common fragile site expression
Get PDFOur genomes harbor conserved DNA sequences, known as common fragile sites (CFSs), that are difficult to replicate and correspond to regions of genome instability. Following replication stress, CFS loci give rise to breaks or gaps (termed CFS expression) where under-replicated DNA subsequently undergoes mitotic DNA synthesis (MiDAS). We show that loss of the structure-selective endonuclease GEN1 reduces CFS expression, leading to defects in MiDAS, ultrafine anaphase bridge formation, and DNA damage in the ensuing cell cycle due to aberrant chromosome segregation. GEN1 knockout cells also exhibit an elevated frequency of bichromatid constrictions consistent with the presence of unresolved regions of under-replicated DNA. Previously, the role of GEN1 was thought to be restricted to the nucleolytic resolution of recombination intermediates. However, its ability to cleave under-replicated DNA at CFS loci indicates that GEN1 plays a dual role resolving both DNA replication and recombination intermediates before chromosome segregation
Towards a new history of literary media
Get PDFThis chapter argues that the history of literary media from the early 20th century to today’s immersive fictions should be viewed as three movements. Each movement illustrates a change in the expectations of storytelling within society. Such a history is not a linear timeline of technological development, rather it focuses on the innovative techniques in storytelling. Initially it is a move to increased reciprocation between the author and the reader characterized by a rise of fandom, author celebrity, and the development of audiences who cross-media in the first half of the 20th century. Then in the second movement there is a desire for interaction with the reader with examples from Choose Your Own Adventures stories and analogue games to interactive electronic fictions and gamification of narratives. Thirdly, it discusses the desire for immersion by the reader in the storyworld with examples from trompe-l’oeil architectural illusions to immersive virtual reality. The discussion of each movement references a range of examples which illustrate the key themes and motifs, and discusses the forces within society which have resisted authors’ and readers' attempts to fulfil these aesthetic aspirations. It argues that we need to undertake Christine Gledhill’s ‘micro-analysis of the conditions of historical practice’ to understand the complexity of this history. In two tables, it tabulates the characteristics of each movement and the socio-economic resistances which need to be considered as we trace the origins of literary transmedia storytelling
Integrated care for older people with different frailty levels:a qualitative sudy of local implementation of a national policy in Luton, England
Get PDFIntroduction: The NHS England General Medical Services 2017–18 contract made it mandatory for general practices in England to identify and manage older people proactively. In response to the national policy, the Luton Framework for Frailty (LFF) programme was developed to target older residents of Luton and offer interventions according to their frailty level. The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the LFF and the factors that affect the implementation of a proactive integrated care service for older people with different frailty levels (OPDFL). Methods: We undertook document analyses and conducted semi-structured interviews with stakeholders to create a ‘thick description’ that provides insights into the LFF. Results: Healthy ageing interventions bring beneficial outcomes but to increase the uptake they should be co-produced with older people. A common electronic system within primary care and multidisciplinary team meetings (MDT) aid implementation. However, variation in implementation across Luton, different levels of buy-in for MDT, and different data systems in primary and secondary care make implementation challenging. Conclusion: The LFF is a promising initiative and lessons learned are likely to be transferable to other settings as proactive management of frailty takes on greater policy prominence in the UK and worldwide
Children’s perspectives on family members’ needs and support after child sexual abuse
Get PDFIntra-familial child sexual abuse is acknowledged to have wide-reaching impacts within the family environment; impacts that can affect both non-abusing family members’ own wellbeing and their capacity to support the child who has been abused. Yet research also demonstrates the important role that can be played by family members, in the aftermath of the identification of abuse, when appropriately supported. This article builds on this existing evidence base (that is primarily drawn from research with parents/carers and professionals) through analysing a unique qualitative data set, developed using interviews and a creative ‘toolkit’ approach with 53 children and young people (aged 6–19 years), who had experienced sexual abuse in the family environment. The article explores their perspectives on the wider family impacts of identification of abuse, their perceptions of the associated support needs of other family members and their understanding of how this relates to their own recovery. The findings firstly suggest the need to recognise children’s relationships with non-abusing family members as a fundamental and interdependent aspect of their recovery in the aftermath of sexual abuse in the family environment. Secondly, they demonstrate the need to recognise the high levels of (self-perceived) responsibility that child victims experience for impacts on their non-abusing family members. Finally, they highlight how professional support to non-abusing family members is explicitly identified as an unmet need by children themselves, and how crucial it is to alleviate what children describe as the ‘ripple effect’ of additional challenges and harms emanating after abuse is identified. The article concludes by considering the implications of these findings, further strengthening arguments around the importance of viewing children’s needs relationally and the unique and critical insights to be gained from involving children in research addressing child sexual abuse
The use of culturally adapted and translated depression screening questionnaires with South Asian haemodialysis patients in England
Get PDFDepression is common amongst patients receiving haemodialysis (HD). Assessment and intervention when faced with language and cultural barriers is challenging. To support clinician decisions, we conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the use of culturally adapted and translated versions of commonly-used depression screening questionnaires with South Asian patients receiving HD in England. Patients completed adapted versions of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale Revised (CESD-R), and the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II). All questionnaires were available in Gujarati, Punjabi, Urdu, and Bengali. A comparative sample of white-Europeans completed the questionnaires in English. The research was based across 9 National Health Service (NHS) Trusts in England. Structural validity of translated questionnaires was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis. Diagnostic accuracy was explored in a subgroup of South Asians against ICD-10 categories using the Clinical Interview Schedule Revised (CIS-R) with receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis. 229 South Asian and 120 white-European HD patients participated. A single latent depression factor largely accounted for the correlations between items of the PHQ-9, CESD-R and BDI-II. Issues with measurement equivalence implied that scores on the translations may not be comparable with the English language versions. Against CIS-R based ICD-10 diagnosis of depression, sensitivity was modest across scales (50-66.7%). Specificity was higher (81.3-93.8%). Alternative screening cut-offs did not improve positive predictive values. Culturally adapted translations of depression screening questionnaires are useful to explore symptom endorsement amongst South Asian patients. However, data indicate that standard cut-off scores may not be appropriate to classify symptom severity. Use of the CIS-R algorithms for optimal case identification requires further exploration in this setting. Strategies to encourage recruitment of under-represented groups in renal research are also warranted, especially for in-depth discussions related to psychological care needs
Book review: The inheritance of narrative and space: ‘Houses in Paris, Houses in Cork: Elizabeth Bowen and the Modernist Inheritance’ by Lauren Elkin in Late Modernism and Expatriation, edited by Lauren Arrington (Clemson University Press, 2022).
Get PDFReview of ‘Houses in Paris, Houses in Cork: Elizabeth Bowen and the Modernist Inheritance’ by Lauren Elkin in Late Modernism and Expatriation, edited by Lauren Arrington (Clemson University Press, 2022)
'A team around the child': professionals' experiences of unmet needs, access and expectations in children's palliative care services, a phenomenological study in the UK
Get PDFThis study aims to understand the experiences of professionals involved in caring for families of children with life-limiting illnesses to ascertain unmet needs, access issues and expectations of services.A phenomenological approach comprising semi-structured interviews with professionals from various services was used. Interviews that happened between July and November 2018 were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed based on descriptive phenomenology.In total, 29 interviews were conducted. Findings showed how essential collaborative working was for becoming a team around the child. Barriers to this include complex working relationships, overprotectiveness of families, roles and responsibilities and use of independent care records. The pressures of waiting times and the impact of staffing shortages affected the experiences of providing care. The reality of meeting families' expectations was shaped by family networking, online research and previous services resistance, which was influential in more challenging interactions. Expectations of care were also impacted by misunderstandings and anxieties surrounding access to services. Overall, professionals were concerned about families being used as a bottomless caring resource and stressed the need for short breaks to alleviate parents.Interventions that educate families and professionals on these services and how they can benefit the child and family would be well received
A federated learning framework for pneumonia image detection using distributed data
Get PDFPneumonia is one of the serious diseases affecting the lungs. Yearly, over four million people die on average. Therefore, it is essential to have an effective system for early diagnoses. State-of-the-art computer-aided Machine Learning (ML) techniques have been used for pneumonia detection. However, pneumonia X-ray images are visually heterogeneous and complex in pattern recognition. Therefore, a vast amount of dataset is required for effective ML model training. The larger data volume can be collected using the real-time dataset from hospitals and medical institutions. However, due to General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act (DPA), data sharing is not allowed by the third party. This study is inspired by using real-time datasets in a privacy-preserving fashion while using the framework of federated learning (FL). We have performed experiments using state-ofthe-art ML models for medical image classification, including pre-trained Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) models of Alexnet, DenseNet, Residual Neural Network-50 (ResNet50), Inception, and Visual Geometry Group-19 (VGG19). The experiments are performed individually on the models and the FL framework. We compared the results using the evaluation metrics and Area Under the Curve (AUC). The preliminary results show the ResNet-50 stands out in performance on the testing dataset producing an accuracy of 93% significantly
Acute cardiometabolic and exercise responses to breakfast omission versus breakfast consumption in adolescent girls: a randomised crossover trial
Get PDFGirls often begin to skip breakfast during adolescence. This study compared the acute effect of breakfast omission versus consumption on cardiometabolic risk markers and perceived appetite and mood during rest and/or exercise in adolescent girls classified as habitual breakfast consumers. Girls (aged 13.2 ± 0.7 years) completed two 5.5 h conditions in a randomised crossover design: breakfast omission (BO) and standardised breakfast consumption (BC). A standardised lunch was provided at 3 h. Incremental cycling exercise was performed at 5 h. Blood and expired gas samples were taken at regular intervals. Whilst pre-lunch plasma glucose, insulin, and Metabolic Load Index incremental area under the curve (IAUC) were significantly lower in BO versus BC, post-lunch differences were reversed and larger in magnitude. Peak plasma glucose and insulin were significantly higher in BO versus BC. Pre-lunch perceived fullness and hunger were significantly lower and higher, respectively, in BO versus BC. Perceived energy and concentration were lower, and tiredness was higher, in BO versus BC. Exercise peak fat oxidation and Fatmax were unaffected. The lower physical activity enjoyment in BO versus BC approached significance. To conclude, acutely omitting breakfast adversely affects cardiometabolic risk markers and exercise enjoyment among adolescent girls who habitually consume breakfast
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