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Youth and the materialities of the outdoors: exploring nature connectivity through free play in hidden green spaces.
Get PDFNature connection is considered beneficial for young people’s health and wellbeing and for developing pro-environmental behaviour, yet they display some of the lowest rates of access to nature spaces and levels of nature connectedness. Nature connection is often presented as synonymous with learning and formalised environmental education programmes represent the usual model for nature engagement interventions in youth. Evidence indicates, however, that activities which are youth led, and independently accessed may have the most impact in terms of improving nature connectivity. This paper presents the findings of a qualitative research project with young people aged between 12 and 16 years, who choose to access hidden green spaces regularly and independently, yet often without permission, on off-road mountain bikes. Their use of is predicated on accessibility, affordance for embodied engagement, and the creative practice of self-built jumps and trails and see’s young people make claims to spaces on the suburban fringe and form embodied knowledge of, and engagement with material natures. Findings provide insights into the relational materialities of young people’s self-directed connections with nature through independent access, the choices and negotiations with others that occur when accessing these spaces, and the emergence of action competence in respondents’ environmental attitudes and behaviours
Defect Microstructure Evolution in an Immiscible Composite Cu43%Cr Alloy after High-Pressure Torsion and Annealing using Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy
Get PDFThe microstructure of a Cu43%Cr alloy after high-pressure torsion (HPT) processing and annealing for 1 h was analyzed using Doppler broadening – variable energy PAS (DB-VEPAS) and conventional positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (cPALS). DB-VEPAS analysis of the near-surface defects reveals the existence of a nanosized oxide layer whose thickness increases from 43 to 103 nm with temperature (210–850 °C) while the diffusion length is unaffected around 20 nm. cPALS analysis revealed two lifetime components of the bulk defects, namely the components related to either vacancies or dislocations, for the as-received material with annealing at 925 °C. After HPT processing, the alloy showed two components which correspond to positrons trapped and annihilated at dislocations (lifetime ̴ 160 ps) in Cu and Cr and at clusters of vacancies (about 13–10 vacancies). The intensity of the first component decreases with increasing annealing temperatures from 210 to 850 °C, thereby implying a partial annihilation of dislocations due to microstructure recovery. The variation of the second component depends on the variation of vacancy cluster size (from about 13 and 10 to about 4 vacancies) resulting from different annealing temperatures. Additionally, Vickers microhardness measurements show that the alloy is substantially hardened after processing by HPT for N = 20 turns. After annealing for 1 h at 210, 550 and 850 °C, the HPT-processed alloy after 5 turns demonstrated a gradual softening by microstructural recovery. Annealing-induced hardening is observed after HPT for 20 turns followed by heating up to 550 °C while softening is observed after annealing at 850 °C
Dynamics of COVID-19 Blame Attribution: A Corpus-Based Analysis of Readers’ Comments in Response to UK Online News
Get PDFThis study adopts a longitudinal approach to analyse the attribution of blame in online comments for the emergence, continuation and consequences of COVID-19. It uses an innovative approach to distil a specialised corpus of readers’ comments in response to UK online news articles about COVID-19, before applying corpus linguistic techniques to identify the principal actors attributed as blame agents. The research found that both internal (the government and the prime minister) and external actors (China and the World Health Organization) were identified as blame agents in comments. The analysis also indicates the presence of blame attribution towards people, their own actions and behaviours, which, in part, may be a consequence of government and public health messaging that emphasised individual responsibility to reduce transmission of the virus. This is distinctive, with significance for public understanding of COVID-19 and for future pandemic communication planning
Navigating who I was and who I am online: How people with dementia use social media platforms to support identity.
Get PDFA diagnosis of dementia can have a powerful impact on identity, and social media platforms offer promising avenues for identity expression and reconciliation. Addressing limited research in this area, we used semi-structured interviews to explore how 10 people with dementia used social media to navigate their identity. Our thematic analysis produced four themes, showing how social media platforms afford unique opportunities for self-expression, visibility, and association, thereby empowering users to maintain their sense of self, challenge stereotypes, and foster community connections. Additionally, social media facilitated a multifaceted and holistic sense of identity beyond the confines of diagnosis. While there were concerns about online self-disclosure, sharing experiences of dementia had therapeutic benefits, aiding in acceptance and adjustment. Participants also leveraged social media to establish continuity between their pre- and post-diagnostic selves, providing a sense of stability amid uncertainty. With the increasing prevalence of social media use among people with dementia, proactive measures by healthcare professionals, policymakers, technology developers, and carers are required to cultivate online experiences that are safe, supportive, and inclusive of people with dementia
The forced sterilisation of Indigenous and racialised Peoples: origins, nature of abuses, impacts and responses
Get PDFPurpose. To draw attention to the global infringement of reproductive rights of Indigenous and racialised Peoples.
Approach. Narrative literature review. Description and comparative analysis of examples of forced sterilisation.
Findings. Large-scale sterilisation campaigns were identified in three different regions of the world: North America, Latin America and Europe. Within these, hundreds of thousands of Indigenous and racialised Peoples have been forcibly sterilised as part of state-sponsored procedures, predominantly aimed at women and gestating people. These abuses are continuing in the 21st century and have origins in ‘racial science’ theory. The exact nature of the abuses are identified alongside the long-term health and wellbeing implications. Professional attitudes and behaviours that condoned such practices within healthcare settings are identified. The psychological, social and cultural impact of such practices, including on Indigenous body sovereignty and self-determination, are demonstrated.
Originality. The analysis brings together scholarship from Indigenous studies alongside that of health and social sciences.
Practical implications. These are twofold: firstly to eradicate any future practice of forced sterilisation and secondly to provide reparations to those affected
Analysing the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy in university students with ADHD: A systematic review
Get PDFBackground: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that begins in childhood and often persists into adult life. University students with ADHD frequently experience great difficulty with global academic functioning, resulting in higher drop-out rates and, consequently, higher unemployment rates.
Objective: This literature review aims to analyse the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) interventions to reduce ADHD-related symptoms in university students with ADHD.
Materials and methods: A literature search was conducted via EBSCO database in October 2023 using key terms: ADHD OR attention deficit hyperactivity disorder AND cogniti* intervention OR cogniti* therapy AND college student* OR university student*. The inclusion criteria were studies using cognitive behavioural therapy as their primary intervention for individuals with ADHD who are enrolled in university or college and are 18 years or above in age.
Results: Seven out of 115 papers were deemed eligible and were included in this review. This review’s studies included four randomized control trials and three before and after open trials. Three key themes were identified through data extraction: intervention design, outcome measures used, and effectiveness of interventions on ADHD-related symptoms. All the studies tailored their CBT intervention toward university students. There was a statistically significant improvement in core domains of ADHD-related impairment, in particular, inattention (N=7), overall executive functions (n=5), and hyperactivity-impulsivity (N=1).
Conclusion: While the current findings suggest positive results of CBT for reducing ADHD-related symptoms in university students with ADHD, further research should explore the sustainability of these gains over the long term. Due to the lack of explicit published study on this topic in the United Kingdom, further research should be conducted in the UK to assess the applicability and effectiveness of tailored CBT interventions within the British university environment
Metaverse in tourism: tourist involvement as a moderator
No full textThis paper aims to identify barriers and enablers of the growing use of Metaverse in tourism by examining users’ intention in selecting a tourist location and hotel for vacation. It employs a mixed methods approach conducted in two phases, namely exploratory and confirmatory. The grounded theory’s twin slate approach allows extracting the factors in the first exploratory phase. The second (confirmatory) phase employs structural equation modeling to analyze the data. The results show that the Perceived Usage Barrier, Perceived Risk Barriers, and Perceived Value Barriers pose as significant barriers to the adoption of the Metaverse
Angler catch data as a monitoring tool for European barbel Barbus barbus in a data limited recreational fishery
Get PDFLarge bodied freshwater fishes can be important target species for recreational anglers, with some species introduced intentionally to diversify angling experiences. European barbel Barbus barbus is an important target species in many riverine fisheries, including the River Severn and its River Teme tributary, western England, where it has supported a catch-and-release recreational fishery for approximately 50 years. The River Teme was renowned for the quality of its barbel angling from the 1980s. Since 2007, angler dissatisfaction has increased substantially in this fishery, being associated with alleged declines in the number of barbel being captured and in their population abundances. As there were few data available at that time to investigate these declines, data from periodic electric fishing surveys and some angler catch data were sourced. Analyses revealed temporal declines in the number of sampled barbel during electric fishing surveys, although the number of surveys was low, varied between years and did not target barbel specifically. Analyses of four angler catch data sets (1995–2022) involving more than 1000 captured barbel of 0.5–5.3 kg also revealed significant temporal declines in barbel catches (by number and catch-per-unit-effort). These catch declines were generally coincident with reductions in angler presence and effort on the river, suggesting low catches were a driver of angler dissatisfaction. These results provide empirical support for angler claims of substantial declines in barbel catches and abundances, and emphasise that even limited volumes of angler catch data are useful for understanding temporal changes in exploited but data limited fish populations
Safeguarding Children and Young People from Gambling Harms: A Scoping Review of the Grey Literature
Get PDFPurpose of Review This scoping review aims to assess the range and efectiveness of interventions in the UK or relevant to
the UK context designed to prevent or reduce gambling-related harms among children and young people (CYP) aged up to
25 years based on grey literature. Grey literature captures practical strategies and innovations not documented in academic
literature, ofering a comprehensive understanding of existing interventions.
Recent Findings The review identifed fourteen organisations ofering interventions primarily focused on prevention and
treatment. Educational interventions, delivered through workshops, online courses, and digital resources, were most prevalent.
Innovative approaches, such as interactive web-based games, showed higher engagement levels among CYP. However, most
interventions lacked rigorous evaluation data, especially concerning CYP’s developmental needs.
Summary The review indicates the importance of multi-systemic approaches involving various stakeholders to mitigate
gambling-related harms. It highlights the need for tailored, evidence-based strategies addressing CYP’s vulnerabilities,
incorporating robust evaluation methods. Future research should include diverse linguistic and cultural contexts to ensure
comprehensive protection for CYP from gambling-related harm