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Researching Development NGOs: Global and Grassroots Perspectives
No full textThis book offers a critical insight into how the study of NGOs can be more theoretically grounded and methodologically creative.The role of NGOs in global development has been the focus of considerable research and scholarship for the last four decades. More recently, scholars and NGO practitioners have begun to explore their relationships and how research can better inform practice and vice versa. This book addresses questions arising from such research, including: how different theoretical perspectives can be applied to the study of NGOs; what kinds of data can be used when trying to better understand NGOs; and what methods can be used in studying NGOs. Rather than evaluating the impact of NGO work, this is a book about how researchers and practitioners can better understand what NGOs do and how they operate. Bringing together work from a range of NGO researchers working across diverse disciplines and at varied stages of their academic careers, the collection is supported by recent case studies in the field as well as ‘dilemma boxes’ and discussion questions in every chapter.As such, Researching Development NGOs is an essential resource for postgraduate students of Research Methods in Development Studies, NGOs and Development Management as well as practitioners wanting to find out more about the sector
“There is no barrier when it comes to your deafness”: participatory research exploring the views of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students being educated in a Resource Base
Get PDFResource Bases (RBs) are a form of educational provision which may allow Children and Young People (CYP) with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) to be included within a mainstream school environment and access appropriate learning opportunities. Research has started to consider the ways in which this type of educational provision can be beneficial. However, much of the research has focused on RBs which support CYP with social communication and language needs, therefore there is a gap in the literature which considers other needs, such as Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (D/HH) students. Furthermore, current research around the educational experiences of CYP tends to focus on the perspectives of staff or parents/carers, this means the views of the child is missing. CYP have a right to give their views about decisions which affect them, therefore it is important they are given opportunities to provide their opinions.The current research sought to explore the school experiences of D/HH students being educated within a RB within an outer London borough secondary mainstream school. The current research aimed to have an emancipatory purpose, and as such, a participatory research approach was implemented with the aim to empower the students to provide authentic views on their experiences. Six students took on the role of co-researchers and were involved in the design, data collection, analysis and dissemination of the current research.The students designed the aim and research questions which involved exploring their feelings in relation to their school experience and the support they receive. Individual interviews, focus groups and diary entries were used to collect data on the students’ school experiences and thematic analysis was employed to identify five themes to answer their research question. The students then created presentations to disseminate their findings to their educational setting.The themes identified by the students highlight the importance of relationships with others, including their peers and staff members. In addition, the students discuss how their own acceptance of their identity and self-esteem also influences how they view their school experiences. The findings and the participatory process used within this research has important implications for the educational provision in which the research was conducted and for the students themselves. In addition, the findings may also have implications for educational psychologists in supporting educational settings in enabling the inclusion of D/HH CYP and CYP being educated in RBs
Myocardial performance index as a measure of global left ventricular function improves following isometric exercise training in hypertensive patients
Get PDFAs the leading cause of cardiovascular disease and mortality, hypertension remains a global health problem. Isometric exercise training (IET) has been established as efficacious in reducing resting blood pressure (BP); however, no research to date has investigated its effects on the myocardial performance index (MPI). Twenty-four unmedicated hypertensive patients were randomized to 4 weeks of IET and a control period in a crossover design. Tissue Doppler imaging was used to acquire cardiac time intervals pre- and post-IET and during the control periods. IET significantly improved all measures of cardiac time intervals, including isovolumic relaxation time (83.1 ± 10.3 vs. 76.1 ± 11.2 ms, p = 0.006), isovolumic contraction time (84.8 ± 10.3 vs. 72.8 ± 6.4 ms, p < 0.001), ejection time (304.6 ± 30.2 vs. 321.4 ± 20.8 ms, p = 0.015) and the MPI (0.56 ± 0.09 vs. 0.47 ± 0.05, p < 0.001). This is the first study to demonstrate that IET significantly improves cardiac time intervals. These findings may have important clinical implications, highlighting the potential utility of IET in the management of cardiac health in hypertensive patients
Optimization of 4-amino-pyridazin-3(2H)-one as a valid core scaffold for FABP4 inhibitors
Get PDFCurrent clinical research suggests that fatty acid-binding protein 4 inhibitors (FABP4is), which are of biological and therapeutic interest, may show potential in treating cancer and other illnesses. We sought to uncover new structures through the optimization of the previously reported 4-amino and 4-ureido pyridazinone-based series of FABP4is as part of a larger research effort to create more potent FABP4 inhibitors. This led to the identification of 14e as the most potent analog with IC₅₀ = 1.57 μM, which is lower than the IC₅₀ of the positive control. Advanced modeling investigations and in silico absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion - toxicity calculations suggested that 14e represents a potential candidate for in vivo studies such as FABP4i
Machine Learning-Based Estimation of Soil’s True Air-Entry Value from GSD Curves
Get PDFThe application of machine learning (ML) methods has proven to be promising in dealing with a wide range of geotechnical engineering problems in recent years. ML methods have already been used for the prediction of soil water retention curves (SWRC) and estimation of air-entry values (AEV). However, the reported works in the literature are generally based on limited data and conventional, less accurate approaches for AEV estimation. In this paper, a large database, known as UNsaturated SOil hydraulic DAtabase (UNSODA), is studied and the conventional and true AEVs of 790 soil samples are estimated based on determination methods reported in the literature. A ML approach is then employed for the development of a predictive model for the estimation of true AEV from water content-based SWRCs of a wide range of soil types taking into account the impact of bulk density and grain size distribution parameters. The obtained results reveal an enhanced accuracy in AEV determination, featuring R2 values of 0.964, 0.901 and 0.851 for training, validation, and testing data, respectively, which confirm the marked performance of the developed ML model. Based on the results of a sensitivity analysis, the particle sizes of 50 and 250 µm are found to have the highest impact on the AEV estimation
Sing to me, baby: Infants show neural tracking and rhythmic movements to live and dynamic maternal singing
Get PDFInfant-directed singing has unique acoustic characteristics that may allow even very young infants to respond to the rhythms carried through the caregiver’s voice. The goal of this study was to examine neural and movement responses to live and dynamic maternal singing in 7-month-old infants and their relation to linguistic development. In total, 60 mother-infant dyads were observed during two singing conditions (playsong and lullaby). In Study 1 (n = 30), we measured infant EEG and used an encoding approach utilizing ridge regressions to measure neural tracking. In Study 2 (n =40), we coded infant rhythmic movements. In both studies, we assessed children’s vocabulary when they were 20 months old. In Study 1, we found above-threshold neural tracking of maternal singing, with superior tracking of lullabies than playsongs. We also found that the acoustic features of infant-directed singing modulated tracking. In Study 2, infants showed more rhythmic movement to playsongs than lullabies. Importantly, neural coordination (Study 1) and rhythmic movement (Study 2) to playsongs were positively related to infants’ expressive vocabulary at 20 months. These results highlight the importance of infants’ brain and movement coordination to their caregiver’s musical presentations, potentially as a function of musical variability
What keeps me engaging? A study of consumers' continuous social media brand engagement practices
No full textPurposeThis study examines some pertinent individual-level factors and consequences of consumers' continuous social media brand engagement (SMBE) practices. Further, this study examines the moderating effect of other-efficacy to deepen the understanding.Design/methodology/approachOnline survey data collected from 785 respondents, through a convenience sampling technique on Facebook, was analyzed through structural equation (SEM) modeling with AMOS 23.0.FindingsThe findings suggest that compatibility with lifestyle, perceived information quality and escapism, which significantly drive consumers' continuous engagement with brands on social media. However, perceived enjoyment does not. Other-efficacy duly moderates consumers' continuous SMBE practices. While continuous SMBE significantly drives consumer-based brand equity (CBBE), continuous SMBE does not have any significant relationship with consumers' subjective well-being (SWB).Research limitations/implicationsThis study reports robust findings on the effects of individual-level factors that drive consumers' continuous SMBE practices. However, the study only focused on Facebook brand pages. This is a limitation for generalizability of results because the research did not take a holistic view of all types of social media.Practical implicationsThe research suggests a need for managers to project their brands and share relevant and stimulating information throughout their continuous SMBE with consumers to build strong consumer–brand relationships. Managers should also engage consumers with interesting social media messages as well as both informative and transformative creative strategies to excite them. This will further give consumers a reason to continuously interact with the brand on social media platforms.Originality/valueThis study is one of the very few works to tease out pertinent factors that drive consumers' continuous SMBE practices. The paper integrates the consumer-level factors and moderating effects of other-efficacy through the lens of Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) and Uses and Gratification Theory (UGT) to make a significant contribution to the SMBE literature
Water-soluble polymers in cementitious materials: A comprehensive review of roles, mechanisms and applications
Get PDFThis review paper provides an extensive assessment of the diverse roles played by water-soluble polymers in cementitious materials. It commences with an introduction that provides a thorough overview of the background, objectives and limitations of the review. Subsequently, the various types of water-soluble polymers, encompassing natural, semi-synthetic and synthetic variants, are examined in detail, alongside an exploration of their working mechanisms within cementitious materials. Mechanisms discussed include entanglement and association, adsorption and complexation, as well as bridging. Furthermore, this review delves into the influence of watersoluble polymers on the microstructure, fresh properties, mechanical properties and durability of cementitious materials. A comprehensive analysis of the challenges and opportunities associated with the implementation of water-soluble polymers in cementitious materials is also presented, followed by a summary of the key findings and recommendations for both practical applications and future research endeavors. Overall, this review provides invaluable insights for researchers and practitioners, shedding light on the multifaceted functions of water-soluble polymers in cementitious materials
Influence of Geopolymerization Factors on Sustainable Production of Pelletized Fly Ash–Based Aggregates Admixed with Bentonite, Lime, and GGBS
Get PDFThis experimental research investigates the influence of geopolymerization factors such as Na₂O dosages, water and mineral admixture [bentonite (BT), burnt lime (BL), and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS)] on physiomechanical properties of the pelletized fly ash (FA)–based aggregates. Taguchi’s L₉ orthogonal array was adopted to design the mixing ratios for three kinds of fly ash–based aggregates (in the combinations of FA-BT, FA-BL, and FA-GGBS). The degree of geopolymerization of the produced aggregates was characterized using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Most influential response indices in the production of pelletized aggregates were identified using gray relational analysis. The physiomechanical characteristics of the fly-ash aggregates were significantly improved by admixing BL than that of GGBS and BT. However, pelletization efficiency was seen to be superior for GGBS-substituted fly-ash aggregates. The quantified amount of hydration products, i.e., sodium alumino-silicate hydrate (N-A-S-H)/calcium alumino-silicate hydrate (C-A-S-H) for fly ash–based aggregates intensified on increasing Na₂O and mineral admixture dosages. The results strongly suggest the existence of a linear relationship between the quantified amount of N-A-S-H/C-A-S-H and individual pellet strength of produced aggregate. The FTIR spectrum showed strong and broadened bands of Si-O terminal for all types of aggregates, representing the conversion of unreacted minerals to chains of aluminosilicate gel (geopolymerized hydration product). Further, it can also be inferred from gray relational analysis that among all other factors, Na₂O content significantly impacted the engineering properties of produced fly ash–based aggregates
Supplemental: BPS Guidelines for Psychologists Working with Refugees and Asylum Seekers in the UK
Get PDFThese guidelines were developed by the British Psychological Society’s Presidential Taskforce on Refugees and Asylum Seekers. As a discipline and a profession, psychology has a wealth of knowledge, experience and talent to apply in this area to help improve the lives of refugees and asylum seekers who have fled their countries and are seeking safety. This guidance document is important, not only for frontline psychologists and others working in the field, but also for practitioners in related disciplines, including directors, managers and practitioners of organisations working with refugees and migrants, providing services to this population at home and abroad