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Work-life conflict and work engagement: which drives the other? A fuzzy-set Approach
No full textWe employed fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to
investigate the relationship between work engagement and worklife
conflict among 416 employees from five organisations. By using
a set-theoretic approach, the research addresses the ‘chicken or the
egg’ dilemma of whether work engagement increases work-life
conflict or if work-life conflict leads to reduced work engagement.
Unlike previous studies that individually analysed components of
work engagement, including vigour, dedication, and absorption,
using regression techniques, this study considers work engagement
as a holistic configuration of these factors. The findings reveal
that specific life-to-work conflict dimensions contribute to a lack of
work engagement, with no evidence supporting that work engagement
causes work-to-life conflict. By using fsQCA, an asymmetric
technique, this study also provides empirical support that work
engagement and the lack (negation) of work engagement are
separate constructs rather than two sides of the same coin. Thus, their drivers can be different
Doing, Being and Knowing Intracranial Hypertension: Exploring Facets of IH through Experiential Expertise
Get PDFThis research explores how people living with Intracranial Hypertension (IH), a rare and complex chronic illness disability, develop valuable knowledge through their lived experiences. By gathering insights from 563 adults with IH worldwide, the study shows that IH impacts "literally everything," expanding, and complicating, dominant medicalised perspectives. The research demonstrates how online communities enable people with IH to share expertise and build collective understanding, creating space for more comprehensive, inclusive approaches to research and management
Social Skill Strategies Used by Teachers in Mainstream Secondary Schools with Students Living on the Autism Spectrum
Get PDFThe prevalence of adolescent students living on the autism spectrum is continuing to increase in Australia, demonstrating the importance of educators developing students’ social skills. This research indicated teachers in mainstream secondary schools prioritise developing conflict resolution skills. Teachers commonly implemented discussions, perceiving them to be effective. However, they suggested effectiveness could be improved with increased consistency. While teachers deemed the strategies effective, this was not without challenge, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic
Environmental Degradation and Its Implications for Forestry Resource Efficiency and Total Factor Forestry Productivity in China
No full textEnvironmental costs (carbon emissions) have come with China’s economic rise, and its forestry sector now faces difficulties in maintaining both its profit and the health of its ecosystems. This study assesses the impact of carbon emissions on forestry efficiency and total factor productivity (TFFP) in China’s 31 provinces between 2001 and 2021. Using the data envelopment analysis (DEA) model through the slack-based measure (SBM framework) and Malmquist–Luenberger index (MLI), we examine the efficiency and productivity growth of forestry, both with and without accounting for carbon emissions. The study reveals that when carbon emissions are not taken into account, traditional measures of productivity tend to overstate both efficiency and total factor forestry productivity (TFFP). growth, resulting in an average of 7.7 percent higher efficiency and 1.6 percent of additional TFFP growth per year. If we compare the regions, coast provinces with stricter technical regulations have improved efficiency in usage, but places like Tibet and Qinghai, with more vulnerable ecosystems, endure harsher consequences. Regardless of incorporating bad output into the TFFP estimation, China’s growth in forestry productivity primarily depends on efficiency change (EC) rather than technological change (TC)
Publishing the North: Bias, Diversity and the North–South Divide in the UK Book Industry
No full textThis article explores the place of writers and writing from Northern England in the contemporary UK book industry by highlighting the biases faced by these writers and the subsequent challenges of underrepresentation and cultural stereotyping that they experience in that industry. Through analysis of research conducted by interviews with UK book industry professionals such as publishers, writers and literary organisations, this paper argues that there is a clear social, cultural, geographic and political North–South divide in the UK generally and in the UK book industry specifically. Furthermore, it shows how this divide links to issues of class and influences the publishing industry’s response not just to Northern dialects, settings or characters in fiction but also to the authors themselves. This article also touches upon the need for greater representation of diversity in both the UK book industry and the literature published in the UK in order to authentically represent the diverse population of the UK in contemporary fiction
Acceptability, feasibility, and program outcomes of an equity-focused, adapted community-based healthy lifestyle program for children, young people, and their families in Perth, Western Australia: an implementation hybrid research protocol
Get PDFBackground: International guidelines recommend multidisciplinary intervention programs for addressing childhood obesity. In Western Australia, community-based healthy lifestyle programs for children and young people are insufficient for demand, especially for those over-represented in obesity statistics relating to prevalence. This protocol outlines the implementation and evaluation of an adapted, evidenced, community-based program in Perth, Western Australia.
Methods: This study follows a multiple-methods hybrid type II design, testing acceptability and feasibility of program scale-out and program participant outcomes. Study (1) Develop the adapted healthy lifestyle program with key partners and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advisors for scale-out. Apply implementation strategies for program realisation. Identify critical elements and outcomes to demonstrate program success with key partners (∼30 workshop participants and ∼80 qualitative proforma respondents). Identify cultural and place-based considerations for program acceptability with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders/advisors (∼30 workshop participants). Study (2) Assess acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility, and local clinical outcomes of adapted healthy lifestyle program pilot. Evaluate the program with children and young people aged 4–16 years with obesity or overweight and weight-related comorbidities, seeking healthy lifestyle change. The program will include weight-related assessments at baseline, 6, and 12 months with weekly sessions for 6 months (estimated n = 245 over 22 months, accounting for 30% drop-out). Explore program experience via focus groups with children, young people, and caregivers: ∼8–12 weeks post commencement (∼50 program participants and caregivers), ∼6 months post commencement (∼50 program completers and caregivers), and evaluation survey (e.g., declined/dropped out/completed). Engage with key partners to determine program feasibility for scale-up (∼30 workshop participants and ∼80 qualitative proforma respondents). Mixed model regression will be used to assess within-subject change in outcomes over time. Child health utility instruments will be used for cost-utility analysis. Study (3) Assess program scalability post-pilot. If determined feasible and acceptable, the program will be packaged to assist practitioners and policymakers with scale-up via exploration of currently available packages and key staff interviews. The overarching Replicating Effective Programs framework outlines the implementation stages, and the tools and strategies being applied are presented. Qualitative data will be analysed using Framework Analysis, incorporating the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research and the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change.
Discussion: Implementation outcomes will be determined by evaluating acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of scale for this healthy lifestyle program. Utilising implementation science, partnership-building, and place-based and cultural considerations, this research will inform potential scale-up of equity-focused healthy lifestyle programs
Deep Learning Based High-Speed Underwater Acoustic Communication System Design
Get PDFUnderwater acoustic (UA) communication is vital for applications like oceanographic data collection and defence but faces challenges like limited bandwidth and multipath interference. This research enhances the conventional OFDM method with a neural network (NN)-based approach, leveraging CNNs, LSTMs, and MLPs for improved channel estimation and adaptability. Experiments in simulations, tank tests, and river trials demonstrated the superiority of the NN-based receiver, particularly under high non-linearity and Doppler effects, advancing UA communication reliability and adaptability
The global landscape of supportive care research for inflammatory bowel disease in children and adolescents: insights from a bibliometric study
Get PDFThe incidence and prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in children and adolescents have been steadily increasing worldwide. This study conducted a bibliometric analysis to map the characteristics of publication and global research trends in non-pharmacological supportive care for children and adolescents with IBD. Research data were sourced from Web of Science Core Collection, covering publications from January 2014 to June 2024. Using Cite Space, VOS viewer and SCImago Graphica, we analysed the collaboration network across countries/institutions/authors, co-citation of reference, and co-citation clusters. A total of 835 papers were included, showing an increasing trend in the number of publications in paediatric IBD. The collaboration network analysis revealed that the USA (317) and Harvard University (57) demonstrated the highest productivity, while Assa Amit (20) emerged as the most prolific author. The UK, with a total link strength of 198, showed strong collaborative ties with the US and Netherlands. Research hotspots concentrated on ulcerative colitis, psychosocial impact, quality of life, patient-reported outcome, exclusive enteral nutrition, and transitional care. In addition, research trends mainly focused on nutritional therapy and mental health disorders. Our findings identify psychosocial support, dietary management, and transition care frameworks as critical research priorities that represent key trends and focal points in non-pharmacological supportive care research. Future research should prioritize developing and evaluating multidisciplinary interventions targeting these domains to improve health outcomes for vulnerable paediatric populations
Assemblage and Anticommunication: Strategies for Systemic Approaches to Spatial Design
No full textSystemic approaches to design provide insights into understanding the intertwined nature of activities, objects and environments, accentuating a shift in conceptualising design from dealing with objects to dealing with dynamic relations. Drawing upon the philosophies of Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari, as well as insights from the cyberneticians Herbert Brün and Larry Richards, this paper explores the concepts of assemblage and anticommunication as a basis for systemic design. In the work of Deleuze and Guattari, assemblage emerges as a strategic resistance against modernity’s tendency to replace genuine relations with illusions of meaning (i.e., ‘the spectacle’). By harnessing assemblage, traditional confines and structures are disrupted, echoing Deleuze and Guattari’s notion of deterritorialization. Anti-communication, introduced by Herbert Brün and explored by Larry Richards as ‘composing asynchronicity’, transcends one-dimensional communicative interactions, advocating for a vibrant, multidimensional conversation that forms in deterritorialized space. It challenges system stability; stimulates the vitality, complexity, and diversity of relational domains; and thereby fosters novel conversations that can counter the homogenising effects of the media spectacle. The above-mentioned theoretical paradigms have inspired ‘The Order of Things, Rivers and Mountains,’ a public art project created for Wolong village in Yunnan, China. They assisted us in integrating intricate relationships between the local environment, a village’s history, and human interaction. Presenting approaches to design that break free from conventional constraints, weaving a fabric where relationships burgeon, enriched by systemic thinking, this paper focusses on the multidimensional nature of assemblage and anticommunication and the interactions, flows and interconnections they afford
Zero Waste in Practice: Theories, Tools, Trade-offs and Ground Realities
No full textAs zero waste moves from slogan to practice, it’s timely to revisit the theory, the trade-offs, and the on-the-ground realities. This presentation revisits the underpinning principles and traces the idea’s evolution, reframing zero waste as a socio-technical transition rather than a downstream engineering solution—from frugal, repair-centred cultures to today’s throwaway economy and persistently low circularity. Going “beyond recycling,” it weighs the real trade-offs among diversion, incineration, and genuine circularity, grounding the discussion in case studies. From these lessons, it outlines a city-scale framework: a clear vision and taxonomy; staged, measurable targets; place-based priorities; innovation and incubation; monitoring and enforcement; enabling regulation; and broad stakeholder engagement. It argues that real progress depends on understanding the interconnections between zero waste, material circularity, energy, and emissions—essential for a just zero-waste, truly circular society