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Has the National Student Survey 'customerized' the UK's university students? This article examines the 'customerization' of university students in the UK and the impacts of reciprocity and social exchange behaviour on National Student Survey outcomes. Using a multi-method qualitative approach, the findings suggest that the National Student Survey is an imperfect barometer for measuring teaching quality and academic standards at universities. It finds that students are being treated as customers so they will give their universities positive evaluations in the National Student Survey. The findings also reveal that the discretion and decisions of students are mostly based on reciprocity, according to which students are willing to complete the National Student Survey favourably only if they get good grades and received 'VIP treatment'. The article concludes by explaining the implications of its findings on practice and recommending an agenda for future research.

Purpose: Given the sharp rise in the adoption of digital onboarding in employment relations and human resource management practices, largely caused by the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, this study explores the impact of digital onboarding on employees' wellbeing, engagement level, performance, and overall outcomes. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses an interpretive qualitative research methodology, undertaking semi-structured interviews with 28 participants working in the UK services industry. Findings: The study finds that digital onboarding has a significant impact on employee outcomes, following the perceptions of "dwindling social connectedness and personal wellbeing", "meaningful and meaningless work", and "poor employee relations" among employees and their employers in the workplace. Practical implications: Due to the increased adoption of digital onboarding, human resources teams must focus on having considerable human interaction with new hires, even if this means adopting a hybrid approach to onboarding. Human resources teams must ensure that they work together with line managers to promote a welcoming culture for new hires and facilitate organisation-driven socialisation tactics and the "quality" information necessary for supporting new employees. For new employees, besides acquiring the digital skills that are essential in the workplace, they must accept the changing digital landscape in order to practice effective communication and align their goals and values with those of their organisation. Originality/value: Qualitative research on the influence of digital onboarding on employee outcomes is limited, with much of the research yet to substantially consider the impact of digitalisation on the human resources function of onboarding employees as full members of an organisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID‐19 pandemic altered the ways academics work and live by creating a context during the spring of 2020 when working from home was largely mandatory and where, for cohabiting workers, the home as workplace was simultaneously occupied by all household members during working hours (and beyond). Using a multi‐method qualitative approach, we examine how academics experienced working from home during the unprecedented circumstances imposed by the first UK lockdown and social distancing measures. Our findings show that a working arrangement commonly termed 'flexible' – working from home – can actually reduce flexibility in a context of mandatory implementation, accompanied by the removal of instrumental and emotional support structures such as childcare and face‐to‐face (physical) social gatherings. Intensified workloads, increased employer monitoring, social disconnection and blurred boundaries between work and personal life collectively generate the reduction of employees' perceived flexibility‐ability. Experiences may be particularly negative for those with low flexibility‐willingness, whose pre‐pandemic preference was to separate work and home as much as possible. Employee efforts to assert agency in this context include establishing 'micro‐borders' and using time‐based strategies to create 'controlled integration'. We discuss implications for border theory and outline directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestic abuse perpetration remains a major threat to public health, safety and wellbeing, causing serious harms and contributing significantly to overall crime globally. In the United Kingdom, research links the crime type to high economic and social costs. In the last 10 years, our collective knowledge of domestic abuse has grown in conjunction with its prioritisation in government policy. Several innovative studies have built a picture of the most serious cases and overall patterns of abuse but to date, examination of these trends by ethnic groups has been limited despite increasing attention to disproportionality in racially minoritised communities in criminal justice system outcomes. In this article we aimed to address this issue through the analysis of 150,000 domestic abuse records kept by police forces in England. Using descriptive statistics, we examined the relative distributions of different ethnicities by suspected offending rate, investigative outcome and crime harm. We found two patterns of note: firstly, that suspects from several categories of minoritized communities are consistently over-represented compared to the White British population among most harmful cases, and secondly, that in Asian communities, offences are less frequently "solved." We discuss the implications for future research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat from biomass is being promoted in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, the full life cycle environmental and economic implications of biomass heat are currently unknown and are therefore explored herein. The results indicate that heat from solid biomass can reduce global warming potential as well as depletion of fossil resources and the ozone layer by >90% compared to fossil fuels. However, acidification, eutrophication, and human and eco‐toxicities are much higher than for heat from natural gas. Biomass heat is also 23% more expensive than heat from gas boilers. However, with the subsidies available in the UK, it is 52% cheaper. Using the waste wood and energy crops available in the UK, it can meet 5% of the national heat demand and save 7.3 Mt CO2 eq. year−1 or 1.5% of UK emissions. Increasing cultivation of energy crops can provide 20% of heat demand by 2030 and save 5.1% of national emissions. Therefore, the government should continue to incentivize biomass heat while tightening regulations to prevent an increase in other impacts. However, increasing biomass heat provision will be challenging due to a large number of installations needed (27 000–85 000) and lack of district heating networks in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The UK is a popular educational hub for international students from different parts of the world. These students often face different transitional challenges, which have a significant impact on the success or failure of their studies. The purpose of this paper is to systematically investigate the issues and challenges confronting international students in the UK in their efforts to acquire academic knowledge and achieve personal development. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 104 UK-based international students in five higher education institutes in London from 25 countries participated in this study. The study was undertaken qualitatively through 21 semi-structured and 13 focus group interviews. Findings: The findings reveal that the process of transitional adjustment is affected by various issues, all of which determine the duration of the students' involvement in each stage of the transitional process. International students in the UK experience language/accent-related difficulties; impaired communication; and a difficult adjustment to the British education system and culture. Research limitations/implications: The extent to which the findings of this research can be generalised is constrained by the limited scope of the research. Practical implications: In choosing to study in the UK, international students primarily seek to obtain a qualification, other life experiences, and cultural assimilation. The students' parents, institutions and the UK authorities (such as the Department of Education) have an important role in ensuring that the students achieve success. While the roles of parents and the UK authorities are not the focus of this paper, their supportive roles certainly allow students to complete the different stages of the process of transitional adjustment quickly and smoothly. Originality/value: The study offers valuable insight into understanding the challenges facing international students in acquiring knowledge in a foreign land. The paper contributes to the pedagogic literature on this topic by proposing a three-stage scaffolding model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Trastuzumab (T) is a humanized monoclonal antibody used in the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer and is available as a subcutaneous (SC) formulation thereby allowing short and convenient administration. A lack of trained nurses to administer T at home and/or train patients at home to self-administer, together with challenges in maintaining cold-chain delivery have impeded the uptake of home administration. In order to support patients’ ability to self-administer T at home, we have implemented an educational programme that includes nurse-led training, education material, support apps and follow-up telephone clinics. Home delivery of pre-filled syringes was enabled in collaboration with commercial providers for aseptic and logistic. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the utility of this programme from the patients’ perspective and to assess patient satisfaction and its impact on quality of life (QOL). Methods: A previously validated Self-Injection Assessment Questionnaire (SIAQ) was modified to assess patient satisfaction, perceptions and the impact of the programme. Patients, who had agreed to enrol on the ‘self-administration’ scheme, were asked to complete the questionnaire at baseline, at the third training session and at the second self-administered dose. Results: All 14 patients offered the questionnaire responded to all questions. The median age was 58 years old, (age range 43–76): 11(79%) were Caucasian, 2(14%) were Asian and one (7%) was African/ Caribbean. The average distance from their home address to the hospital was 10.1 miles (range 4–19). Following completion of the 1:1 nurse training, there was a significant improvement in patient confidence to self-administer sc. T (p = 0.03). No differences in ‘feeling in control of their treatment’ or ‘satisfaction of attending hospital appointments’ were noted. Of the 11 patients who reached the self-administration stage, 10 pts (91%) reported that they felt ‘very confident’ and 8 pts (82%) reported that it was ‘very easy’ to give themselves the injection. All patients were ‘very satisfied’ with self-administration and felt that the 1:1 nurse training programme helped them to be more confident. 10 pts (91%) found the App and written information useful as well as the pre- and post-administration telephone clinics. All patients reported that the self-administration programme had a positive impact on their QOL by reducing the number of hospital visits. In the first 4 months of self-administration, each patient reduced their hospital attendance by an average of eight appointments (median = 8) equating to 10 h of time that would have been spent at hospital. Conclusion: The subcutaneous T self-administration programme was well received by patients. The nurse training sessions and supportive materials enabled patients to feel more confident about self-administration with no reported incidents or adverse events. This led to fewer hospital visits and improved QOL. This programme was critically dependent on the services of a commercial compounder and homecare provider, emphasizing the importance of joint working between the NHS and the commercial sector. Evaluation of this programme will continue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose While there is a rich literature on the role of partnerships between statutory agencies and third sector organisations for public service delivery in health and social care, the evidence base on, partnerships between community-based groups and charities for older people in the UK is lacking. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative data, the purpose of this paper is to examines partnerships within 46 live at home (LAH) schemes. These schemes were specifically designed to tackle isolation and promote independence and wellbeing by providing a wide range of activities, based on the needs of its members.Design/methodology/approach This study is based on an online survey of 46 LAH schemes and face-to-face interviews with seven scheme managers to capture data on the various partnership initiatives within the LAH schemes.Findings Third sector partnerships for older people varied by type – formal, semi-formal and informal. In addition, third sector partnership working fosters the achievement of clear outcomes for older people who LAH and could be a mechanism for building social capital in communities. The study also identified barriers to developing third sector partnerships within this context. Mapping existing partnerships in LAH schemes were considered to be useful in engaging with partners. LAH scheme managers were better able to identify partnerships that could be deepened and broadened, depending on the desired outcomes.Originality/value To the author’s knowledge, there are few studies on third sector partnership working in LAH schemes for older people. According to Age UK, there are 1.2m chronically lonely older people in the UK. Over half of all people aged 75 and over live alone (ONS, 2015). Loneliness and social isolation in later life are considered to be two of the largest health concerns we face. Scaling up these third sector partnerships may offer a credible way to shore up support for older people who live alone or want to live at home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents life cycle environmental impacts of UK shale gas used for electricity generation, in comparison with other fossil, nuclear and renewable options. Per kWh of electricity generated, shale gas has higher environmental impacts than the other options, except for coal. Thus, if it were to replace coal, most impacts would be reduced, including the global warming potential (GWP; by 2.3 times). However, if it were to compete with nuclear or some renewables most impacts would rise, with the GWP increasing by 5-123 times. Within a future UK electricity mix up to 2030, shale gas would make little difference to the environmental impacts of electricity generation, including the GWP, even for the most optimistic assumptions for its domestic production. This suggests that, in the medium term, shale gas cannot help towards meeting UK climate change targets and that certain renewables and nuclear power should be prioritized instead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of the paper is to estimate life cycle costs (LCC) of the current housing stock in the UK as part of sustainability assessment of the residential construction sector. This is carried out by first estimating the life cycle costs of individual houses considering detached, semi-detached and terraced homes. These results are then extrapolated to the UK housing stock consisting of seven million each of semi-detached and terraced houses and four million of detached houses. A brief discussion of life cycle environmental impacts is also included to help identify improvement opportunities for both costs and impacts. Methods: The life cycle costing methodology followed in the study is congruent with the life cycle assessment methodology. The system boundary for the study is from 'cradle to grave', including all activities from extraction and manufacture of construction materials to construction and use of the house to its demolition. The functional unit is defined as the construction and occupation of a house in the UK over the lifetime of 50 years. Results and discussion: The total life cycle costs are estimated at £247,000 for the detached house, £192,000 for the semi-detached and £142,000 for the terraced house. The running costs in the use stage contribute 52 % to the total life cycle costs of which half is from energy use. The construction costs contribute 35 % to the total LCC with the walls and the roof being the most expensive items. The remaining 13 % of the costs are incurred at the end of life of the house which are largely (85 %) due to the cost of labour for demolition. Recovery of end-of-life materials has a limited potential to reduce the overall life cycle costs of a house. The life cycle costs of the whole housing stock are estimated at £67 billion per year or £3,360 billion over the 50-year lifetime. Conclusions: The existing housing stock in the UK is facing a number of challenges that will need to be addressed in the near future. These include improving energy efficiency and reducing the dependency on fossil fuels to reduce energy demand, fuel poverty and environmental impacts. Furthermore, the disparity between the construction costs and house market prices will need to be addressed to ensure that access to housing and house ownership do not become the privilege of a few. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY The UK electricity mix will change significantly in the future. This provides an opportunity to consider the full life cycle sustainability of the options currently considered as most suitable for the UK: gas, nuclear, offshore wind and photovoltaics (PV). In an attempt to identify the most sustainable options and inform policy, this paper applies a sustainability assessment framework developed previously by the authors to compare these electricity options. To put discussion in context, coal is also considered as a significant contributor to the current electricity supply. Each option is assessed and compared in terms of its economic, environmental and social implications, using a range of sustainability indicators. The results show that no one technology is superior and that certain trade-offs must be made. For example, nuclear and offshore wind power have the lowest life cycle environmental impacts, except for freshwater ecotoxicity for which gas is the best option; coal and gas are the cheapest options (£74 and 66/MWh, respectively, at 10% discount), but both have high global warming potential (1072 and 379 g CO2 eq./kWh); PV has relatively low global warming potential (88 g CO2 eq./kWh) but high cost (£302/MWh), as well as high ozone layer and resource depletion. Nuclear, wind and PV increase some aspects of energy security: in the case of nuclear, this is due to inherent fuel storage capabilities (energy density 290 million times that of natural gas), whereas wind and PV decrease fossil fuel import requirements by up to 0.2 toe/MWh. However, all three options require additional installed capacity for grid management. Nuclear also poses complex risk and intergenerational questions such as the creation of 10.16 m3/TWh of nuclear waste for long-term geological storage. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background, aim, and scope: The aim of this study has been to estimate the carbon footprint of bread produced and consumed in the UK. Sliced white and wholemeal bread has been considered for these purposes and the functional unit is defined as 'one loaf of sliced bread (800 g) consumed at home'. The influence on the carbon footprint of several parameters has been analysed, including country of origin of wheat (UK, Canada, France, Germany, Spain and USA), type of flour (white, brown and wholemeal) and type of packaging (plastic and paper bags). The effect on the results of the type of data (primary and secondary) has also been considered. Materials and methods: The carbon footprint has been estimated in accordance with the PAS 2050 methodology. The results have also been calculated following the ISO 14044 methodology to identify any differences in the two approaches and the results. Primary data for the PAS 2050-compliant study have been collected from a UK bread supply chain. Secondary data have been sourced from the UK statistics, life cycle inventory databases and other published sources. Results and discussion: The carbon footprint results range from 977 to 1,244 g CO eq. per loaf of bread. Wholemeal thick-sliced bread packaged in plastic bags has the lowest carbon footprint and white medium-sliced bread in paper bag the highest. The main hot spots are wheat cultivation and consumption of bread (refrigerated storage and toasting), contributing 35% and 25% to the total, respectively. Conclusions: The carbon footprint could be reduced on average by 25% by avoiding toasting and refrigerated storage of bread. Further reductions (5-10%) could be achieved by reducing the amount of waste bread discarded by consumers. The contribution of transport and packaging to the overall results is small. Similar trends in the results are also found in the study based on the secondary data and following the ISO 14044 methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the construction of identities in Australia and the United Kingdom. The authors use the Narrative Policy Framework to analyze the creation of characters, plotlines, and policy morals in relation to the crisis. Three identities are examined: the "dutiful citizen," the "supermum," and the "unvaccinated." The article highlights the impact of these narratives on individuals and society, emphasizing the importance of qualitative analysis in understanding the broader implications of pandemic narratives. [Extracted from the article]

Exploitation of shale gas in the UK is at a very early stage, but with the latest estimates suggesting potential resources of 3.8 × 10 13 cubic metres – enough to supply the UK for next 470 years – it is viewed by many as an exciting economic prospect. However, its environmental impacts are currently unknown. This is the focus of this paper which estimates for the first time the life cycle impacts of UK shale gas, assuming its use for electricity generation. Shale gas is compared to fossil-fuel alternatives (conventional gas and coal) and low-carbon options (nuclear, offshore wind and solar photovoltaics). The results suggest that the impacts range widely, depending on the assumptions. For example, the global warming potential (GWP100) of electricity from shale gas ranges from 412 to 1102 g CO 2 -eq./kWh with a central estimate of 462 g. The central estimates suggest that shale gas is comparable or superior to conventional gas and low-carbon technologies for depletion of abiotic resources, eutrophication, and freshwater, marine and human toxicities. Conversely, it has a higher potential for creation of photochemical oxidants (smog) and terrestrial toxicity than any other option considered. For acidification, shale gas is a better option than coal power but an order of magnitude worse than the other options. The impact on ozone layer depletion is within the range found for conventional gas, but nuclear and wind power are better options still. The results of this research highlight the need for tight regulation and further analysis once typical UK values of key parameters for shale gas are established, including its composition, recovery per well, fugitive emissions and disposal of drilling waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper considers life cycle environmental sustainability of solar water heating systems in regions with low solar irradiation, such as the UK. The results suggest that flat plate collectors have slightly lower environmental impacts than evacuated tube designs. Reducing the current energy losses of 65%–45% would reduce the impacts by around 35%. Compared to a gas boiler, solar thermal systems are a better option for only five out of 11 environmental impacts considered, with global warming and depletion of fossil resources being lower by 88% and 83%, respectively. Other impacts such as human and eco-toxicity are up to 85% higher. The solar systems score better relative to electrical water heating for eight out of 11 impacts. They are also environmentally more sustainable than heat pumps for seven categories. However, their potential is hampered because they need a back-up heating system, typically gas boiler. For this reason as well as due to a lack of suitable locations and poor efficiency, the potential of solar thermal systems to contribute to a more sustainable domestic energy supply in the UK is limited. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: The UK carbonated drinks sector was worth £8 billion in 2010 and is growing at an annual rate of 4.9 %. In an attempt to provide a better understanding of the environmental impacts of this sector, this paper presents, for the first time, the full life cycle impacts of carbonated soft drinks manufactured and consumed in the UK. Two functional units are considered: 1 l of packaged drink and total annual production of carbonated drinks in the UK. The latter has been used to estimate the impacts at the sectoral level. The system boundary is from 'cradle to grave'. Different packaging used for carbonated drinks is considered: glass bottles (0.75 l), aluminium cans (0.33 l) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles (0.5 and 2 l). Materials and methods: The study has been carried out following the ISO 14040/44 life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. Data have been sourced from a drink manufacturer as well as the CCaLC, Ecoinvent and Gabi databases. The LCA software tools CCaLC v2.0 and GaBi 4.3 have been used for LCA modelling. The environmental impacts have been estimated according to the CML 2001 method. Results and discussion: Packaging is the main hotspot for most environmental impacts, contributing between 59 and 77 %. The ingredients account between 7 and 14 % mainly due to sugar; the manufacturing stage contributes 5-10 %, largely due to the energy for filling and packaging. Refrigeration of the drink at retailer increases global warming potential by up to 33 %. Transport contributes up to 7 % to the total impacts. Conclusions: The drink packaged in 2 l PET bottles is the most sustainable option for most impacts, including the carbon footprint, while the drink in glass bottles is the worst option. However, reusing glass bottles three times would make the carbon footprint of the drink in glass bottles comparable to that in aluminium cans and 0.5 l PET bottles. If recycling of PET bottles is increased to 60 %, the glass bottle would need to be reused 20 times to make their carbon footprints comparable. The estimates at the sectoral level indicate that the carbonated drinks in the UK are responsible for over 1.5 million tonnes of CO eq. emissions per year. This represented 13 % of the GHG emissions from the whole food and drink sector or 0.26 % of the UK total emissions in 2010. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The majority of waste in many countries is still landfilled. This represents waste of valuable resources and could lead to higher emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) compared to energy recovered by incineration, even when the landfill gas is recovered. This paper aims to find out which option is more sustainable with respect to the carbon footprint (global warming potential) by comparing energy recovered from MSW incineration with that from biogas recovered from landfilled waste. Materials and methods: Life cycle assessment has been used as a tool, following the ISO 14040/44 and PAS 2050 methodologies. Data have been sourced from the operator of the incinerator, the Environment Agency for England and Wales, the CCaLC and Ecoinvent databases. CCaLC v2 and GaBi v4.3 have been used for the LCA modelling. Results and discussion: The carbon footprint of MSW incineration is −0.179 t CO eq./t MSW while that from landfilling is 0.395 t CO eq./t MSW, with both systems credited for energy recovery. The results are sensitive to the composition of waste, energy options chosen to credit the systems and the recovery rate of biogas. Increasing the amount of fossil carbon in the waste by increasing paper recycling between 40 and 80 % increases the carbon footprint of incineration by 9-20 %. If instead of the electricity from the UK grid, electricity from heavy fuel oil or coal is assumed to be displaced by incineration, its carbon footprint reduces to −0.51 and −0.35 t CO eq./t MSW, respectively. Increasing the landfill gas recovery from 53 to 75 % and its utilisation for energy from 35 to 50 %, reduces the carbon footprint of landfilling by a half. Conclusions: The results indicate that waste incineration offers significant savings of GHG compared to disposal by landfill. Based on the total amount of MSW of 225,000 t/year considered in this study, MSW incineration could save around 129 kt of CO eq. per year compared to landfilling with biogas recovery, with both systems co-generating heat and electricity. At the UK level, diverting all MSW that is currently landfilled to incineration with energy recovery could save around 8.38 million tonnes of CO eq. per year or 1.5 % of the total UK GHG emissions. These savings can be increased further by recycling of bottom ash and non-ferrous metals. Incineration remains a better option than landfilling under all the conditions considered in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents for the first time the results of a full life cycle assessment (LCA) 1 [1] Life cycle assessment. study for the three most common types of house in the UK: detached, semi-detached and terraced. All life cycle stages are considered, including house construction, use and demolition after 50 years. The results indicate that the use stage has the largest contribution to most environmental impacts. For example, the global warming potential (GWP) 2 [2] Global warming potential. over the 50-year lifetime of the detached house is 455 t of CO2 eq.; 374 t CO2 eq. of the semi-detached; and 309 t CO2 eq. of the terraced house. Around 90% of the GWP is from the use, 9% from construction (embodied carbon) and 1% from the end-of-life waste management. A similar trend is noticed for all other impacts. Recycling the building materials at the end of life leads to an overall reduction of the impacts. For instance, the GWP reduces by 3% for the detached and semi-detached houses (to 441 t of CO2 eq. and 363 t CO2 eq., respectively) and by 2% (to 302 t CO2 eq.) for the terraced house. The main environmental benefit is from reusing the bricks and recycling the aggregates. At the housing sector level, the total GWP is 132 million tonnes of CO2 eq. per year with the semi-detached houses contributing 40%, terraced 37% and detached houses 27%. Over the 50-year lifetime, the total GWP from the sector is nearly 6.6 billion tonnes of CO2 eq. The results also highlight the importance of decisions made in the design and construction stages as they determine the impacts of the house in the use and end-of-life stages. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents the results of a life cycle assessment of domestic heat pumps in the UK in comparison with gas boilers. The study considers air (ASHP), ground (GSHP) and water (WSHP) source heat pumps. The results show that heat pumps have higher environmental impacts than gas boilers due to the use of electricity. On average, the impacts for the ASHP are 82% higher than from the boiler and 73% for the GSHP and WSHP. The exception to this are the global warming, fossil resource depletion and summer smog impacts which are lower for the pumps than the boilers. For example, up to 36% of CO2 eq. can be saved with the WSHP and 6% with the ASHP in comparison with the boiler. Among the heat pumps considered, ASHP have the highest impacts due to lower efficiencies and higher material requirements for the system. The GSHP and WSHP have comparable impacts, with the latter being marginally better. The life cycle impacts of heat pumps may improve if the UK electricity mix is sufficiently decarbonised; however, they will still remain higher than for the gas boiler. Overall, their potential to contribute to the UK climate change targets is limited. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: There has been resurgence in interest in new nuclear power stations over the last couple of years. The UK Government has taken steps to encourage the private sector to build new stations in the UK, a change in its previous neutral stance toward nuclear power. This paper examines the change in government policy asking what drivers have led to this decision and what barriers were preventing new nuclear power in the past and what barriers are still faced by both government and industry. Three main drivers are discussed: security of energy supply; diminishing energy generation capacity; and climate change. The paper also examines other key factors that play a part in facilitating a shift in government policy, namely economics, public perception and waste management policy. Barriers are identified through examination of public perception, and policy. The changes to the planning system are also discussed. The paper concludes by comparing drivers and barriers for other technologies and contrasting the UK experience with that of other countries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Pressurised metered-dose inhalers are a method of choice for delivering drugs into lungs for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease across the globe. HFC-134a and HFC-227ea propellants, which are currently used in these inhalers, have significant global warming potentials. To reduce the climate change impact of inhalers, several options are available to the industry, including alternative devices, such as dry powder inhalers and nebulisers. In addition, the manufacturers can reduce the propellant quantity per dose or use a different propellant with a lower global warming potential, such as HFC-152a. This study evaluates the life cycle environmental impacts of different types of inhaler and investigates possible scenarios to reduce their impacts. The environmental impacts are estimated through life cycle assessment, following the ReCiPe impact assessment method. The results suggest that HFC-152a inhaler has the lowest impacts for ten out of 14 categories considered, while the dry powder inhaler is the worst option for eight impacts; however, it has the lowest climate change and ozone depletion impacts. Considering the annual use of pressurised metered-dose and dry powder inhalers in the UK, they generate 1.34 Mt CO 2 eq., largely due to HFC-134a inhalers. This represents 4.3% of greenhouse gas emissions of the NHS (National Health Service). Replacing HFC-134a with HFC-152a would reduce the climate change and ozone depletion impacts of inhalers in the UK by 90%–92%. Most other environmental impacts would also decrease significantly (28%–82%). Switching from pressurised metered-dose inhalers to dry powder inhalers would lead to an even higher reduction in the climate change impact (96%). However, several other impacts would increase significantly, including human toxicity, marine eutrophication and fossil depletion. Since changing propellants or replacing pressurised metered-dose inhalers with dry powder inhalers requires further research and development, pharmaceutical companies should continue to work on minimising propellant usage in inhalers and on achieving higher rates of recycling of current inhalers. Image 1 • HFC-152a inhaler has the lowest impacts for ten out of 14 categories considered. • Dry powder inhaler has the lowest GWP but is the worst option for eight other impacts. • The use of inhalers in the UK generates 1.34 Mt CO 2 eq./yr due to HFC-134a inhalers. • Replacing HFC-134a and HFC-227ea with HFC-152a would reduce GWP by 92%. • Most other environmental impacts would also decrease significantly (28%–82%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: We examined the experience of the intensification of homeschooling and/or childcare in working mothers in the United Kingdom during the first national COVID-19 lockdown. Our focus was on understanding how mothers dealt with this challenging period both emotionally and practically. Methods: Eligible mothers (n = 47; Mage = 39.6) participated in an anonymous online survey of openended questions. Results: Thematic analysis of responses showed that mothers found homeschooling and/or childcare to be challenging. This was particularly notable in situations where support from partners, schools, and workplaces was limited. For single working mothers, the absence of support resources was especially impactful. Mothers often felt overly stressed trying to balance work and family responsibilities, guilty for not meeting their child's needs, and were worried over their child's well-being and academic progress and over increasing work demands. Common strategies mothers used to cope with the challenges of home-schooling and/or childcare included adopting a positive outlook, implementing flexible family structures, increasing family connectedness, and negotiating alternative partnership models. Discussion: The intensification of home-schooling and/or childcare during the lockdown in the United Kingdom negatively affected maternal well-being, particularly due to limited support. These findings underscore the importance of prioritizing maternal wellbeing in post-pandemic recovery efforts. Additionally, they highlight the social dimension of maternal wellbeing and suggest a comprehensive approach to support it that includes both timely access to intervention for mental health but also implementing family-friendly work policies and offering support with childcare and children's learning as essential measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Total serum bilirubin concentration (TBIL) can provide useful information on several pathophysiological conditions in cats. Nevertheless, whether the variable severity classification of hyperbilirubinemia can reliably indicate certain disease processes or predict a biliary obstruction (BO) has not been investigated. Hypothesis/Objective: Determine if hyperbilirubinemia of variable severity can assist clinicians to identify BO, which often is considered a surgical emergency. Animals: Two‐hundred sixteen client‐owned cats. Methods: Data were retrospectively collected from all cats (January 2015‐August 2022) with an increased TBIL (>0.58 mg/dL [>10 μmol/L]) presented to 3 referral centers in the United Kingdom (UK). Presenting clinical features and diagnostic outcomes were collected. The predictive ability of TBIL to indicate BO was evaluated by multivariable binary logistic regression modeling and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: Median TBIL was 1.73 mg/dL (range, 0.59‐26.15; 29.5 μmol/L; range, 10.1‐447.1) with severity classification of hyperbilirubinemia categorized as mild (>0.58‐2.92 mg/dL; >10‐50 μmol/L; 68.1%), moderate (>2.92‐5.85 mg/dL; >50‐100 μmol/L; 17.6%), severe (>5.85‐11.70 mg/dL; >100‐200 μmol/L; 9.7%) and very severe (>11.70 mg/dL; >200 μmol/L; 4.6%). Biliary obstruction was present in 17 (7.9%) cats, all of which received recommendation for emergency surgery. Median TBIL in cats with BO (9.69 mg/dL; 165.7 μmol/L) differed significantly from those without obstruction (1.51 mg/dL; 25.8 μmol/L; P <.01). The optimal TBIL cut‐off to discriminate between cats with and without BO was ≥3.86 mg/dL (≥66 μmol/L) with a sensitivity of 94.1% and specificity of 82.4%. Using multivariable logistic regression, as age increased, the odds of BO increased significantly (odds ratio, 1.20; 95% confidence interval, 1.01‐1.42; P =.04). Conclusions and Clinical Importance: As part of a thorough clinical assessment, the severity classification of hyperbilirubinemia has the potential to predict the likelihood of a BO and to discriminate between cats that may or may not require surgery for BO at a suggested cut‐off of ≥3.86 mg/dL (≥66 μmol/L). Alongside TBIL, age is also useful when assessing for the likelihood of BO in a cat presented with hyperbilirubinemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the perceptions of quality of life (QOL) while working from home in the United Kingdom during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found that most participants experienced increased QOL due to more time with family, a comfortable work environment, and less commuting. However, social isolation was cited as a significant issue affecting QOL. The article suggests that stakeholders should develop social support networks and effective planning initiatives to promote QOL and work-life balance for remote workers in the UK. [Extracted from the article]

Biscuits are a major product category in the global confectionary sector. Despite this, their environmental impacts are poorly characterised. Therefore, this paper sets out to evaluate the life cycle environmental sustainability of the following widely-consumed types of biscuit, both at the product and sectoral levels: crackers, low fat/sugar, semi-sweet, chocolate-coated and sandwich biscuits with chocolate or vanilla cream. The results obtained through life cycle assessment demonstrate that, in addition to being healthier, low fat/sugar biscuits have the lowest impacts across most of the 18 categories considered. Chocolate-coated biscuits are environmentally the least sustainable. The most significant life cycle stage for all types is the raw materials production, causing 41%–61% of the total impacts, with flour, sugar and palm oil being the key hotspots. Replacing palm with rapeseed oil would improve five impacts but worsen another five, including a 34% increase in agricultural land occupation and marine eutrophication. Therefore, the cultivation and production of palm oil, rather than its replacement, should be targeted for improvements. The second most crucial stage is manufacturing, contributing up to 54% of the impacts, followed by transport with up to 35%. Reducing energy consumption by 25% in manufacturing would reduce primary energy demand by 8%–12%, fossil fuel depletion by 9%–12% and global warming potential by 6%–9%. The latter would increase by 55% if land use change related to cocoa was involved, despite a very small amount of cocoa in the biscuits (∼1%). The analysis at a sectoral level in the UK, the leading consumer of biscuits in Europe, reveals that biscuits contribute 7.4% of primary energy demand and 0.5% of greenhouse gas emissions of the whole UK food sector. These results can help guide manufacturers in mitigating the hotspots in the supply chain and consumers in selecting environmentally more sustainable biscuits. • The environmental sustainability of six types of biscuit is evaluated for the first time. • Low fat/sugar biscuits have the lowest impacts and chocolate-coated the highest. • Global warming potential of chocolate biscuits is 55% higher with land use change. • Flour, sugar and palm oil are the key hotpots, followed by biscuits manufacturing. • Biscuits contribute 7.4% of energy demand and 0.5% of GWP of the UK food sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many higher education institutions have started to develop academic curricula, research capacity and outreach activities related to circular economy. However, little is known yet on how to apply circular economy thinking to sustainable campus management. In an attempt to address this gap, this paper proposes a methodological framework and guidance to help universities develop a circular economy strategy aimed at improving resource efficiency and environmental sustainability of their campus operations. The approach is compatible with sustainability management frameworks as it follows the well-known iterative process of planning, doing, checking and improving. The framework involves three main steps: analysis of current situation with respect to circular economy within the organisation; stakeholder engagement to get a buy-in and inform the development of a circular economy strategy; and implementation of the strategy following the guidelines provided within the framework. Application of the framework is illustrated through a case of the University of Manchester, demonstrating how circular economy principles can be used to benchmark existing sustainability policies and action plans. The paper also shows how engaging key stakeholders can be used to identify challenges and opportunities for embedding circular economy thinking into the university's sustainability management systems. The proposed framework and the guidelines for implementation of circular economy thinking are generic and can be applied by any institution across the higher education sector. Image 1 • There is a lack of knowledge on how to implement circular economy in universities. • A simple but powerful framework is proposed to guide institutions in that process. • Application of the framework is illustrated through a real case of a large UK university. • Challenges and opportunities for CE are discussed based on stakeholder interviews. • Guidelines are provided for the development and implementation of a CE strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Ice cream is consumed daily worldwide and yet its environmental impacts are scarcely known. This paper presents a first comprehensive life cycle assessment of market-leading vanilla and chocolate ice creams, considering both regular and premium products. The results suggest that their impacts are broadly similar across the 18 impact categories considered. For the majority of the impacts, chocolate regular ice cream is a slightly better option than the other varieties. Overall, the regular versions of the product have lower environmental impacts than the premium. Raw materials contribute most to the majority of impacts (>70%). The exception is ozone depletion, which is mainly due to refrigerated storage at the retailer (95%). The impacts are highly sensitive to the duration of storage and the type of refrigerant. Furthermore, the global warming potential of chocolate ice cream is very sensitive to land use change associated with cocoa beans cultivation, increasing the impact by 60%. Considering annual consumption of ice cream in the UK, the total primary energy demand contributes to 3.8% of energy consumption in the whole food sector while greenhouse emissions contribute 1.8%. Future improvements in the supply chain should focus on milk and cocoa production, reduced storage time and types of refrigerant used. Product reformulation to reduce the amount of milk (fat) and sugar should also be considered, in line with the emerging health-driven market trends. In addition to industry and policy makers, the findings of this study will be of interest to consumers, enabling them to make better choices with respect to environmental impacts of most popular ice creams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UK is in the early stages of developing a shale gas industry and to date six test wells have been drilled but none yet exploited commercially. Some argue that shale gas could reduce energy prices and improve national energy security. However, the costs of bringing commercial-size wells into operation are uncertain and the impact shale gas could have on the UK energy market is currently unknown. Therefore, this paper evaluates the economic viability of developing a UK shale gas industry and the impacts it could have on the UK gas and electricity markets and consumer energy bills up to 2030. The estimated life cycle (levelised) costs of shale gas production range from 0.47 to 56.74 pence/MJ (0.61–73 US$ cents/MJ), with an average value of 4.64 pence/MJ. The break-even price at which shale gas can be sold varies between 0.95 and 114.44 pence/MJ, averaging at 9.47 pence/MJ, depending on the volume of gas produced by a shale gas well. The latter is two times higher than imported liquefied natural gas, around 30% more expensive than UK natural gas and three times greater than the price of US shale gas. Electricity from shale gas is on average 17% more expensive than from domestic conventional gas but still more competitive than most other electricity options, including coal and renewables. However, the impact of shale gas on the energy market would be limited across the expected range of shale gas penetration into the gas and electricity mixes, suggesting that it would have little effect on energy prices. This is reflected in an almost negligible impact on consumer energy bills. The potential of shale gas to boost the UK economy is also limited, contributing 0.017–0.033% to the GDP. This is an order of magnitude lower than the contribution of US shale gas to its GDP (0.2%), indicating that the economic success of shale gas in the US may not be replicated in the UK. These findings will be of interest to shale gas developers and policy makers not only in the UK but in other countries considering exploitation of shale gas resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change with adverse impacts on the environment, economy, and society requires marketing to change current attitudes and behaviors towards sustainable production and consumption, and thus climate change is interrelated to marketing. However, no body of literature has comprehensively investigated the connections and relationships between climate change and marketing. This study examined such connections and relationships from a bibliometric approach using Web of Science and Scopus databases from 1992 to 2022. The search strategy utilized topic and title/abstract/keyword search. The search query retrieved 1723 documents. VOSviewer and Biblioshiny were utilized to analyze data on authors, keywords, institutions, countries, sources, citations, and co-citations. The findings showed an upward trend in the annual number of publications with the top three most productive countries being the USA, the UK, and Australia and the most productive institutions in the USA, New Zealand, and the UK. The top three author keywords were climate change, sustainability, and marketing. The Sustainability journal ranked first in terms of productivity while Energy Policy in terms of citations. International collaborations were mostly between developed countries also known as Global North Countries, and collaborations between these countries and developing and developed countries should be encouraged. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of documents increased, and research themes altered. Research on energy, innovation, insect farming, and carbon management is a top priority. The results proved that most studies were conducted outside the field of marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has been the source of large-scale disruption to the work practices of university staff, across the UK and globally. This article reports the experiences of n = 4731 professional services staff (PSS) working in UK universities and their experiences of pandemic-related work disruption. It specifically focuses on a transition to remote-working as a consequence of social restrictions and campus closures, presenting both quantitative and qualitative findings that speak to the various spatio-relational impacts of PSS working at distance from university campuses. These survey findings contribute to a new narrative of work organisation in higher education which addresses the potential of remote-working as a means for boundary crossing, social connectedness and trust relationships in universities in the immediate context and strongly anticipated post-pandemic future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Bluebelle Wound Healing Questionnaire (WHQ) is a universal-reporter outcome measure developed in the UK for remote detection of surgical-site infection after abdominal surgery. This study aimed to explore cross-cultural equivalence, acceptability, and content validity of the WHQ for use across low- and middle-income countries, and to make recommendations for its adaptation. Methods: This was a mixed-methods study within a trial (SWAT) embedded in an international randomized trial, conducted according to best practice guidelines, and co-produced with community and patient partners (TALON-1). Structured interviews and focus groups were used to gather data regarding cross-cultural, cross-contextual equivalence of the individual items and scale, and conduct a translatability assessment. Translation was completed into five languages in accordance with Mapi recommendations. Next, data from a prospective cohort (SWAT) were interpreted using Rasch analysis to explore scaling and measurement properties of the WHQ. Finally, qualitative and quantitative data were triangulated using a modified, exploratory, instrumental design model. Results: In the qualitative phase, 10 structured interviews and six focus groups took place with a total of 47 investigators across six countries. Themes related to comprehension, response mapping, retrieval, and judgement were identified with rich cross-cultural insights. In the quantitative phase, an exploratory Rasch model was fitted to data from 537 patients (369 excluding extremes). Owing to the number of extreme (floor) values, the overall level of power was low. The single WHQ scale satisfied tests of unidimensionality, indicating validity of the ordinal total WHQ score. There was significant overall model misfit of five items (5, 9, 14, 15, 16) and local dependency in 11 item pairs. The person separation index was estimated as 0.48 suggesting weak discrimination between classes, whereas Cronbach's α was high at 0.86. Triangulation of qualitative data with the Rasch analysis supported recommendations for crosscultural adaptation of the WHQ items 1 (redness), 3 (clear fluid), 7 (deep wound opening), 10 (pain), 11 (fever), 15 (antibiotics), 16 (debridement), 18 (drainage), and 19 (reoperation). Changes to three item response categories (1, not at all; 2, a little; 3, a lot) were adopted for symptom items 1 to 10, and two categories (0, no; 1, yes) for item 11 (fever). Conclusion: This study made recommendations for cross-cultural adaptation of the WHQ for use in global surgical research and practice, using co-produced mixed-methods data from three continents. Translations are now available for implementation into remote wound assessment pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the study of real-world data on patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who received compassionate medication, the use of biosimilar filgrastim in healthy donors for peripheral blood stem cell mobilization. It also highlights the increase in the number of clinical trials of psychedelics for psychiatric and neurological disorders.

Purpose: This paper aimed to revise and further validate the published e-work life (EWL) scale. The EWL scale was originally developed to assess theoretically relevant aspects of the remote e-working experience related to four main areas: organisational trust, flexibility, work–life interference and productivity. Design/methodology/approach: A number of changes were implemented to the scale (i.e. including new items, rewording of existing items) following a recent qualitative study conducted by the authors. The two studies outlined in this paper, conducted within discrete remote e-working populations, resulted in a validated and adjusted 20-item version of the scale. Findings: Study 1 performs confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on data from a sample of 399 remote e-workers (57.9% female) in UK to check the factor structure of the revised version of the EWL scale and the reliability of the posited dimensions. Results provided support for a 20-item scale, replicating the factorial structure of the original version. Study 2 tests and confirms the factorial structure of the final 20-item EWL scale in an independent sample of 366 remote e-workers (48.6% female) in UK. Study 2 provides further evidence of EWL scale's reliability and validity, with the four factors of the scale being significantly correlated with positive mental health, detachment from work and technostress. Originality/value: The EWL scale is a very timely and important tool which provides an overall framework of the key areas that are affecting remote e-workers' life; whose greater understanding may better prepare organisations to adapt work arrangements and introduce support policies and guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The central aim of this research is to deepen the analysis of the influence that crises have on employee relations by using the stakeholder relationship management model (SRM) to analyze organizational employee relationship management (OERM). Design/methodology/approach: This study uses a questionnaire distributed in two organizations (UK-based public sector and private sector) that were experiencing a crisis at the time of data collection. Respondents identified whether they believed the organization was in crisis, if they defined it as in crisis classified what type of crisis it was, and then responded to questions about their relationship to the organization, the organization's post crisis stability and their own behavioral intentions. Findings: The findings verify the applicability of the SRM in employee relations with three critical findings: (1) employees with higher income in the private sector were significantly less likely to believe their organization was in crisis; (2) the more ambiguous the blame for the crisis, the greater the damage on the relationship between organizations and employees; and (3) collective sensemaking in organizations is essential, but less likely when a crisis has damaged the relationship between employees and organizations. Originality/value: In the last 40 years of Employee Relations, the role of crisis in influencing OERM has not been meaningfully explored in the journal. Therefore, the piece makes an original contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The UK consumes almost 5% of world's wine production, drinking 12.9 million hectolitres annually or 21 l per capita per year. Australian wines are most popular with the UK consumer, accounting for around 17% of total take-home purchases. This paper focuses on Australian red wine and presents the life cycle environmental impacts of its consumption in the UK. The results indicate that a 0.75 l bottle of wine requires, for example, 21 MJ of primary energy, 363 l of water and generates 1.25 kg of CO2 eq. For the annual consumption of Australian red wine, this translates to around 3.5 PJ of energy, 600 million hectolitres of water and 210,000 t CO2 eq. Viticulture and wine distribution are the main hot spots contributing over 70% to the environmental impacts considered. Shipping in bulk rather than bottled wine would reduce the global warming potential (GWP) by 13%, equivalent to 27,000 t CO2 eq. annually. For every 10% increase in recycled glass content in bottles, the GWP would be reduced by 2% or 3600 t CO2 eq./yr; the savings in other environmental impacts are smaller (0.7–1.5%). A 10% decrease in bottle weight would reduce the impacts by 3–7%; for the GWP, the saving would be 4% or 7000 t CO2 eq./yr. If only 10% of the wine was packaged in cartons instead of glass bottles, the GWP savings would be 5% or 10,600 t CO2 eq./yr; the other impacts would also be reduced by 2–7%. These measures could together save at least 48,000 t CO2 eq./yr, almost a quarter of the current emissions from the UK consumption of Australian red wine. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The paper explores whether work-life balance (WLB) is affected by the unbounded work context and how organisational support, work flexibility and gender affect this relationship. It is a quantitative study, involving a survey of academics based in three UK institutions, using OLS regressions. There is a significant negative relationship between the perception of the unbounded nature of work and WLB among academics, irrespective of their gender. While flexible work and organisational support are positively associated with WLB, they have limited effect in an unbounded work context. This study makes original contributions for practitioners and academics. First, it provides empirical evidence of the relationship between the unboundedness of work and WLB, and finds no significant gender differences in WLB within an unbounded work context. Second, it helps to understand how flexible work and an organisational support culture are insufficient to eliminate the negative effect of unbounded work. Although the research involves a relatively small sample of UK academics provides insights into WLB in an unbounded work context. As became evident during the coronavirus pandemic, the boundaries between work and non-work domains in contemporary work settings are more and more blurred. Work will therefore become increasingly unbounded, potentially undermining WLB and causing tension between growing work demands and the necessities of family and personal lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the prevalence of non-medical use (NMU) of codeine in Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK and whether availability of OTC codeine has any association with NMU of the drug. Methods: Data collected in the online Survey of Non-Medical Use of Prescription Drugs, in surveys launched in the second half of 2018 from (Germany (n = 14,969), Italy, (n = 9974), Spain (n = 9912) and the UK (n = 9819) were analysed. For each survey, the estimated prevalence and 95% confidence interval (CI) of respondents reporting NMU of prescription and/or OTC codeine within the last 12 months were calculated and compared. Results: The prevalence of last 12-month NMU in Spain was 12.6% (95% CI 11.7–13.6) for prescription codeine, 6.3% (5.6–7.0) for OTC codeine and 16.1% (15.1–17.3) for any codeine (prescription and/or OTC). The prevalence of last 12-month NMU in the UK was 5.4% (4.9–5.8) for prescription codeine, 4.5% (4.1–5.0) for OTC codeine and 8.3% (7.8–8.9) for any codeine (prescription and/or OTC). The prevalence of last 12-month NMU for prescription codeine was 2.1% (1.9–2.4) in Germany and 1.9% (1.7–2.2) in Italy. Conclusion: The prevalence of last 12-month NMU of any codeine product is approximately eight times greater in Spain and four times greater in the UK compared to Germany and Italy where the drug is only available by prescription. While other factors may contribute, these findings suggest that availability of codeine OTC is associated with greater NMU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this Viewpoint we explore and speculate on the value of development researchers at what is an extraordinary moment in the relationship between UK universities and public research funding from UK Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) in the period following massive cuts to the state aid budget in March 2021. We anchor our exploration in structural racism and its manifestation in the politics of aid and development research conducted in universities, and in the lives of racialised minoritised development researchers. We conclude the Viewpoint with some reflections to help guard against the performative value of Southern researchers in development research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Despite significant financial support from the UK government to stimulate adoption of microgeneration energy technologies, consumer uptake remains low. This paper analyses current understanding of motivations and barriers that affect microgeneration adoption with the aim of identifying opportunities for improving the uptake. The findings indicate that, although feed-in tariffs have increased the uptake, policies do not sufficiently address the most significant barrier – capital costs. ‘Environmental benefit’ appears to be a significant motivation to install, but there is doubt whether consumers are willing to pay extra for that. The issue is complicated by the fact that motivations and barriers differ between segments of the population, particularly with age. Younger age groups are more willing to consider installing but less frequently reach the point of installation, suggesting that other barriers such as costs prevent them from installing. Further investigation into these factors is required to understand how uptake may be increased. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The stressors of immigration detention and negative host country experiences make effective access to health care vital for migrant detainees, but little is known regarding the health experiences of this populations and the barriers to healthcare access. The present research investigates immigration detainees' experiences of health‐related help‐seeking in the distressing and stigmatised environment of UK immigration removal centres (IRCs), as well as staff members' experiences of providing help. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 40 detainees and 21 staff and analysed using theoretical thematic analysis guided by the social identity approach. The findings indicate that the practical constraints on help provision (e.g. lack of time and resources, the unpredictable nature of detention) are exacerbated by the complex and conflictual intergroup relationships within which these helping transactions occur. These transactions are negatively affected by stigma, mutual distrust and reputation management concerns, as well as detainees' feelings of powerlessness and confusion around eligibility to receive health care. Some detainees argued that the help ignores the systematic inequalities associated with their detainee status, thereby making it fundamentally inappropriate and ineffective. The intergroup context (of inequality and illegitimacy) shapes the quality of helping transactions, care experiences and health service engagement in groups experiencing chronic low status, distress and uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many countries around the world imposed nationwide school closures to manage the spread of COVID-19. England closed its schools for most pupils in March 2020 and prepared to reopen schools to certain year groups in June 2020. Understanding teachers' lived experiences at this time of educational disruption is important, shedding light on challenges faced and support needed by schools and teachers in the event of further disruption. The research reported here represents the second timepoint in a longitudinal study investigating what it was like being a teacher in England during the pandemic. Our aim was to better understand teachers' experiences at a time of partial reopening of schools in mid-June 2020. We used the framework of Self-Determination Theory to explore challenges to teachers' basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness. A total of 24 primary and secondary state school teachers from 20 schools across England were interviewed and asked to tell stories of a low point, a high point and a turning point. A reflexive thematic analysis, using a mix of inductive and deductive coding, was conducted. Six themes were identified in the data: uncertainty, practical concerns, worry for pupils, importance of relationships, teacher identity, and reflections. Challenging their basic need for autonomy and competence, teachers were anxious about current and future uncertainties while navigating school reopenings. Challenging their basic need for relatedness, teachers described the importance of connecting with pupils and their families, and with colleagues. Lastly, teachers searched for holistic meaning, evaluating what it means to be a teacher and reflecting on how these circumstances have affected their personal and professional lives. Our analysis of teachers' experiences provides insight into how teachers' psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness have been challenged. It highlights the importance of supporting teachers to feel autonomous, competent and connected with colleagues, pupils and their families. Such support is likely to be beneficial to teachers' wellbeing and their commitment to the profession, now and in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to provide an objective means of identifying patterns in academic publication among ENT trainees during their higher surgical training. Method: A cross-sectional survey was distributed to ENT higher surgical trainees. Results: A total of 153 ENT specialty trainees participated, giving a response rate of 46.5 per cent. Across all years of training, the mean number of first author publications was three and the mean number of non-first author publications was two. For trainees at specialty trainee year 8 level, these figures were nine and five, respectively. Participants with doctoral degrees and those in academic programmes published more papers but the mean difference was only significant for the doctoral subgroup (p < 0.0001). Those with additional undergraduate degrees and those in less than full-time training had an overall lower number of publications. Conclusion: Participants in the current survey achieved a higher average number of academic publications than is presently required to successfully complete higher surgical training in ENT. It is hoped that these results act as a guide for trainees planning the research component of their training to ensure that they remain competitive at consultant interview. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: CONTACT is a national multidisciplinary study assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic upon diagnostic and treatment pathways among patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)., Methods: The treatment of consecutive patients with newly diagnosed PDAC from a pre-COVID-19 pandemic cohort (07/01/2019-03/03/2019) were compared to a cohort diagnosed during the first wave of the UK pandemic ('COVID' cohort, 16/03/2020-10/05/2020), with 12-month follow-up., Results: Among 984 patients (pre-COVID: n = 483, COVID: n = 501), the COVID cohort was less likely to receive staging investigations other than CT scanning (29.5% vs. 37.2%, p = 0.010). Among patients treated with curative intent, there was a reduction in the proportion of patients recommended surgery (54.5% vs. 76.6%, p = 0.001) and increase in the proportion recommended upfront chemotherapy (45.5% vs. 23.4%, p = 0.002). Among patients on a non-curative pathway, fewer patients were recommended (47.4% vs. 57.3%, p = 0.004) or received palliative anti-cancer therapy (20.5% vs. 26.5%, p = 0.045). Ultimately, fewer patients in the COVID cohort underwent surgical resection (6.4% vs. 9.3%, p = 0.036), whilst more patients received no anti-cancer treatment (69.3% vs. 59.2% p = 0.009). Despite these differences, there was no difference in median overall survival between the COVID and pre-COVID cohorts, (3.5 (IQR 2.8-4.1) vs. 4.4 (IQR 3.6-5.2) months, p = 0.093)., Conclusion: Pathways for patients with PDAC were significantly disrupted during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, with fewer patients receiving standard treatments. However, no significant impact on survival was discerned., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Energy-dense food advertising affects children's eating behaviour. However, the impact of high-sugar food advertising specifically on the intake of sweet foods is underexplored. This study sought to determine whether children would increase their intake of sugar and total energy following high-sugar food advertising (relative to toy advertising) and whether dental health, weight status and socio-economic status (SES) would moderate any effect. In a crossover, randomised controlled trial, 101 UK children (forty male) aged 8–10 years were exposed to high-sugar food/beverage and toy advertisements embedded within a cartoon. Their subsequent intake of snack foods and beverages varying in sugar content was measured. A dental examination was performed, and height and weight measurements were taken. Home postcode provided by parents was used to assign participants to SES quintiles. Children consumed a significantly greater amount of energy (203·3 (95 % CI 56·5, 350·2) kJ (48·6 (95 % CI 13·5, 83·7) kcal); P = 0·007) and sugar (6·0 (95 % CI 1·3, 10·7) g; P = 0·012) following food advertisements compared with after toy advertisements. This was driven by increased intake of the items with most sugar (chocolate and jelly sweets). Children of healthy weight and with dental caries had the greatest intake response to food advertising exposure, but there were no differences by SES. Acute experimental food advertising exposure increases food intake in children. Specifically, high-sugar food and beverage advertising promotes the consumption of high-sugar food items. The debate around the negative health effects of food advertising on children should be widened to include dental health as well as overall dietary health and obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The existing gender gap in the workplace, that affects job satisfaction and career advancement of women, creates a need to understand further the causes and effects of the gender gap phenomenon. Although, there are many challenges that affect women's job satisfaction and advancement in the workplace, this paper aims to investigate work–life balance using multiple theoretical lenses. Design/methodology/approach: In total, 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted with women from Nigeria and Ghana residing in the UK, they were selected using a purposive sampling method. Findings: The findings show four main factors that explain the choices these women make in relation to work–family. These are cultural sensitivities, current phase in family and work–life, personality types and other influences such as policies and financial commitment. Results also show how these women make these work–family choices using networks and services. Practical implications: The paper postulates the need for organisation's to pay attention to the acculturation and enculturation of these women, which would indicate observing their cultural behaviour's, values, knowledge and identities to understand how they integrate, assimilate and to also prevent separation and marginalisation. In addition, the use of (internal and external) networks as support systems for these women can create the opportunity for informal learning. Finally, organisation's should create structure that support workplace learning and should include activities such as decision-making, communication, career advancement planning and flexible work patterns. Originality/value: This study contributes to theory using multiple theories (work-family, gender inequality and Theories X and Y in explaining the work–family construct of women of African origin in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fruits are indispensable for a balanced and healthy diet. However, their environmental impacts remain largely unknown. Using a life cycle approach, this work estimates for the first time the impacts of fruits consumed in the UK. What makes the UK a particularly interesting case is that only 7% of fruits are produced domestically, with the rest imported, largely (70%) from outside of Europe. In total, 21 types of fruit and 46 fresh and processed products produced in the UK and abroad are considered to estimate the impacts at both the product and the national levels. The findings at the product level suggest that melons have the lowest and mangoes and avocados the highest impacts as a significant portion of the last two is air-freighted. Processing leads to high impacts of fruit juices, dried and frozen products. Storage has a considerable contribution to the impacts for fruits stored over a long period, such as apples. Packaging used for canned fruits and juices is also a significant contributor to the impacts. Taking the annual consumption into account, the whole UK fruit sector generates 7.9 Mt CO 2 eq. and consumes 94 PJ of primary energy. This is equivalent to 4% of the annual GHG emissions and 9% of energy demand of the whole UK food sector. Moreover, fruits require 0.35 Mha of agricultural land and 315 Mm3 eq. of water per year. Oranges, bananas and apples are responsible for more than half of the impacts at the national level as they account for 64% of the total fruit consumption in the UK. It is expected that the results of this study will be of interest to different supply chain actors, including farmers, food processors and consumers, aiding them in reducing the environmental impacts of fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]