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The legacy of history: women and the ownership of land in Ireland
Get PDFThis paper is a review of existing sources across disciplines focusing on the topic of female farm ownership. Throughout the centuries, females have been explicitly excluded from owning and prevented from inheriting land. The purpose of this paper is to examine historical customs and rules governing female land ownership in Ireland and to demonstrate how the ‘old’ laws and customs have contributed significantly to the patriarchal system of farm ownership that is still in existence today even though the gender-based laws have disappeared. This paper argues that a contributing factor to the current male-dominated farm ownership figures is the normalisation of patriarchy by way of the old, gendered laws and practices. Although gender discrimination is no longer acceptable in such a direct legal form, the tradition and culture that established and supported such customs can still be seen today, as males account for 87% of Irish farmholders. This research addresses a lacuna in our understanding of women’s unequal position when it comes to the ownership of farms in Ireland
Re-evaluating Bioplastic Blend Wastes through Mechanical Recycling and Chemical Modification
Get PDFThe escalating environmental challenges posed by conventional plastics have amplified the importance of biodegradable polymers as sustainable alternatives. However, addressing their recyclability and reprocessing is critical to enhancing their environmental and economic viability. This review delves into the multiple reprocessing of biodegradable polymer blends, focusing on mechanical recycling’s effects on their structure, properties, and performance. Unlike single polymers, blends offer tailored properties by combining the strengths of individual components, making them more suitable for diverse applications. However, their complex morphologies and phase interactions demand unique strategies for effective recycling.Key findings highlight that polymer blends, such as PLA/PHB and PLA/PBAT, exhibit greater resilience to repeated processing compared to their pure counterparts, owing to enhanced intermolecular interactions and progressive crystallinity. Compatibilizers, including chain extenders like Joncryl®, play a pivotal role in mitigating degradation by improving phase adhesion and maintaining mechanical and thermal properties. Rheological analyses reveal the critical interplay between phase morphology and processing conditions, emphasizing the importance of tailoring blend compositions and additives for optimal recyclability.This review sets itself apart by providing the first comprehensive examination of the effects of multiple mechanical reprocessing cycles specifically on biodegradable polymer blends, filling a significant gap in the literature. By addressing current challenges, it offers a roadmap for advancing biodegradable materials toward a circular economy
Commentary and methodological insights: Reaching girls/women, boys/men and vulnerable groups to maximise uptake for the Human papillomavirus vaccine
Get PDFThe human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has been shown to be an effective cancer-prevention vaccine against oncogenic types of the HPV virus implicated in cervical, anogenital, and oropharyngeal cancers. Since Covid-19, there are global suboptimal uptake rates for the HPV vaccine. In high-income countries, there are persistently lower uptake rates among boys/men and vulnerable groups despite many countries now offering the HPV vaccine to both girls and boys in gender-neutral vaccine campaigns. It is important to understand the nuances with vaccine hesitancy and qualitative research approaches can be valuable to understand rich, contextual understandings in public health communication among hard-to-reach groups. This commentary draws insights from previous literature and our own research including two studies submitted to this Special Edition on Vaccine Communication. We consider the cultural context, gender and specific hard-to-reach groups in Scotland including those with an intellectual disability, sexual minorities, and ethnically diverse groups to draw some insights. Such groups may experience taboos and stigma in various guises. It is important that public health communication in given contexts is gender-inclusive and can incorporate messages that reach vulnerable groups. Cancer prevention communication delivered by trusted healthcare providers and community leaders are important strategies to deliver trusted messages
Emotional touchpoints and emotions of childbirth: A systematic mixed studies review and Epistemic Network Analysis
Get PDFBackground: Emotional touchpoints are moments during perinatal care that evoke an emotional response in a woman. There is a lack of knowledge regarding the centrality of how touchpoints and emotions are framed in the real‐life experiences of childbearing women. Aim: To explore how birth‐related emotional touchpoints interact and how the emotions in the context of these healthcare experiences interact. Methods: We performed a systematic mixed studies review to capture childbearing women's prospective and retrospective reports of birth expectations and experiences. We conducted a literature search in CINAHL (EBSCO), Medline (EBSCO), PubMed, Web of Science, and Ovid, followed by hand searching and forward and backward citation searching from the included articles. We performed a quality appraisal using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program. We used Epistemic Network Analysis to model and visualize the connections and structure of the emotional touchpoints and the emotions. Results: We included 28 articles, showing overall moderate quality. We constructed two models, one of emotional touchpoints and one of emotions. The emotional touchpoints model showed a strong connection between Coping and the Process of Labor & Birth and between the Process of Labor & Birth and Beliefs (belief systems) about Labor & Birth. The primary emotions model showed strong connections between Joy and Fear, between Fear and Sadness and between Sadness and Joy. Conclusions: This paper illustrates how the multidimensionality of birth‐related emotional touchpoints and the positive and negative emotions prospectively and retrospectively reported by pregnant and postpartum women were distilled—informing the conversation between care providers and childbearing women
Electrochemical capacitors with lithium chloride/polyvinyl alcohol solid polymer electrolyte for ionotronic-based thermal sensors
Get PDFThis paper describes an ionotronic-based sensor that can detect changes in temperature using a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE)-based transparent electrochemical capacitor (EC). The EC developed using flexible ITO as an active electrode and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)- lithium chloride (LiCl) gel composite-based SPE. The electrochemical performances of the sensors are investigated using cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and galvanostatic charging and discharging (GCD) analysis. The EC was fabricated using a freestanding SPE, which exhibits a specific capacitance of 4.19 μF. cm-² at a scan rate of 5 mV. s-1. The direct coating of the SPE on the electrode enhances the specific capacitance and is found to be 18.70 μF.cm-², which is 12 times higher than the EC fabricated using freestanding SPE. When a temperature was applied to the top of the EC with directly coated SPE, we observed a variation in the device’s capacitance due to the change in the mobility of ions of the SPE, which is directly related to the temperature change. The EC exhibits a sensitivity of 0.30 µF/ °C (R2= 0.9694) for the temperature range of -10 to 50 °C. Due to its ionic reaction, the EC demonstrates a high capacitance value in the range of µF in the low frequency range, which shows its potential application in ionotronic-based sensing and as an energy storage for the next generation of wearable devices
Gender Bias in Text-to-Video Generation Models: A Case Study of Sora
No full textThe advent of text-to-video generation models has revolutionized content creation as it produces high-quality videos from textual prompts. However, concerns regarding inherent biases in such models have prompted scrutiny, particularly regarding gender representation. Our study investigates the presence of gender bias in OpenAI’s Sora, a state-of-the-art text-to-video generation model. We uncover significant evidence of bias by analyzing the generated videos from a diverse set of gender-neutral and stereotypical prompts. The results indicate that Sora disproportionately associates specific genders with stereotypical behaviors and professions, which reflects societal prejudices embedded in its training data
The impact of the cost-of-living crisis on travel choices: The case of Scotland
Get PDFThis study aims to identify the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on travel choices of Scottish residents. Specifically, we examine possible changes in two dimensions of travel behavior: (i) mode choice; and (ii) number of trips. Using recent data (N = 2705) from the Public Attitudes Survey (PAS) of Transport Scotland, extensive statistical modeling was conducted in order to identify which population segments are more likely to change their travel mode and reduce the number of trips they make in response to the ongoing crisis. To control for possible unobserved heterogeneity effects that may underpin these two behavioural dimensions, the Bivariate Ordered Probit (BOP) framework was employed enabling the joint modeling of these two dimensions. The survey data showed that 26.1% of the respondents changed their typical mode of travel as a means to save money, and almost 28% of the respondents have exhibited a propensity to reduce their number of trips due to rising travel costs. The results of the BOP model showed that low-income households and ethnic minorities are among the most severely affected population segments, as they are more likely to change their travel mode and reduce their amount of travel. Women, people with health issues or disabilities, millennials, and residents in rural areas of Scotland also show evidence of behavioral change in light of the cost-of-living crisis. The findings of this study highlight major inequalities in transport accessibility, which will continue to deepen and result in higher levels of transport poverty, as the cost-of-living crisis unfolds, and appropriate remedial measures are not taken by legislative and governmental Authorities
Factors influencing the self-rationing of nursing care in palliative care settings
Get PDFBackground: The rationing of nursing care is a significant concern in palliative care settings, where resource limitations can prevent nurses from providing comprehensive patient care. This study aims to examine the factors influencing the rationing of nursing care among palliative care nurses, focusing on the impact of psychological factors and workplace characteristics. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using the Perceived Implicit Rationing of Nursing Care (PIRNCA) questionnaire among 104 nurses working in palliative care. Data on anxiety and depression levels were collected using the HADS scale. Multivariate regression analysis was employed to identify key predictors of care rationing, including depression, anxiety, and type of care setting. Results: The average PIRNCA score was 0.82 (SD = 0.53), indicating that care rationing occurs “rarely.” The most frequently rationed tasks were emotional and psychological support, patient education, and assistance with mobility. Nurses with higher depression (p = 0.002) and anxiety levels (p = 0.0012) were more likely to ration care. Working in a home-based hospice was associated with increased care rationing (p = 0.0012), while working in a palliative care ward reduced it (p = 0.0027). Conclusions: Psychological distress, particularly depression and anxiety, significantly contributes to nursing care rationing in palliative care. Additionally, the type of care setting plays a critical role, with home-based hospice care being more prone to rationing. Interventions to support nurses’ mental health and optimize resource allocation, particularly in home-based care, are essential to ensure comprehensive patient care in palliative settings. Clinical trial number: Not applicable
Young People's Career Information Literacy: Three Essential Skills for Decision-Making
No full textCareer decision-making depends upon the effective access and use of career information. In this paper, the findings of a qualitative study on the career information literacy skills among Scottish secondary school students are presented. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews (N=33) and diary studies (N=12) with Scottish secondary school students aged 13-18. Interview transcripts and diary entries underwent systematic thematic analysis using NVivo 11, with close attention paid to the career information literacy skills used for the purposes of career decision-making. Three distinct clusters of competencies are found essential for career information literacy: (1) digital skills, (2) social skills, and (3) resilience. Of these, resilience is especially crucial for sustained engagement with career information. The main contribution of the work is to extend conceptualisations of career information literacy. This is achieved in the development of a tripartite conceptualisation of essential information literacy skills in the context of career decision-making
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