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Background: Walking is a key target behavior for promoting population health. This paper charts the 30-year history of walking policy in Scotland. We assess whether population walking levels among adults in Scotland have changed in recent years and identify the characteristics of those least likely to report any walking. Methods: We pooled 9 years (2012–2019 and 2021) of data from adult (≥16 y) respondents of the Scottish Health Survey (n = 41,470). The outcomes of interest were the percentage reporting (1) any walking and (2) any walking with an average pace that is of at least moderate intensity. We also investigated the contribution of walking to total nonoccupational moderate to vigorous physical activity. We used linear and logistic regressions to test linear trends over time and to identify inequalities by age, sex, and the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation quintile. Results: There was an increase in all measures of walking over the period 2012–2021; for example, the percentage reporting any walking increased by 7 percentage points (81.4%–88.4%). Inequalities still exist by age, sex, and the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation but have not grown over time. Inequalities by sex and age are most pronounced in the least affluent Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation quintiles; less affluent older women are least likely to report any walking. Conclusions: Scotland appears to be walking in the right direction. Surveillance data support a positive trend after decades of policy and promotion efforts. The policies do not appear to be exacerbating existing inequalities, but narrowing them will require more concentrated efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: School recess provides a valuable opportunity for children's daily moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA). This study aimed to quantify MVPA during school recess in a representative sample of Scottish children and examine whether recess MVPA varied by gender, socioeconomic status, season, urban/rural residency, and recess length. Method: Five-day accelerometry MVPA data were analyzed from 773 children (53.9% girls, 46.1% boys, 10- to 11-y-olds) from 471 schools. Binary logistic regression explored associations between meeting/not meeting the recommendation to spend 40% of recess time in MVPA and the aforementioned risk factors. Descriptive recess data were also analyzed. Results: Participants spent an average of 3.2 minutes (SD 2.1) in MVPA during recess. Girls engaged in 2.5 minutes (SD 1.7) of MVPA compared with 4.0 minutes (SD 2.2) for boys. Only 6% of children met the recess MVPA recommendation. The odds of girls (odds ratio 0.09; 95% confidence interval, 0.04–0.25) meeting the recommendation was lower (P <.001) compared with boys. No statistically significant differences were observed in meeting the recommendation for the other risk factors. Conclusion: Levels of MVPA during school recess are very low in Scottish children, and interventions aimed at increasing MVPA during recess are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Gross domestic product (GDP) is frequently used as a proxy for well‐being. Such use of GDP is problematic for many reasons, for GDP excludes activities that contribute to well‐being and includes others that have a negative impact instead. As a result, a vast array of metrics has been developed to complement or replace it and put well‐being at the heart of policymaking. Nonetheless, previous research has shown that their use and impact on policymaking has been limited. This article examines the use and impact of well‐being metrics according to their own developers and intended users in the crucial cases of Scotland and Italy, focusing specifically on the two countries' official well‐being frameworks. Despite being at the forefront of the well‐being debate, both countries have never been studied in this regard before. This article fills this gap, collating views from more than 100 stakeholders, including statisticians, members of interest groups, policymakers and journalists. Findings show that the vast majority of informants could not cite any examples of cases in which either framework impacted on policymaking, or in which they themselves had used these. In some cases, this was due to them not being aware of what such frameworks were in the first place. Those who could identify some examples were those who were or used to be part of the government. Examples would, however, tend to be vague, in some instances remarkable yet merely anecdotal, and still in others the result of an ‘ex‐post rationalisation’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study documents how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the livelihoods of women with disabilities in three low-income urban areas of Zimbabwe's Harare Metropolitan Province. A mixed-method approach was used to gather data through structured interviews, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions with 104 women with disabilities and service providers working with women with disabilities in Caledonia, Hatcliffe, and Epworth. The study utilises the sustainable livelihood approach to analyse the dynamics ensuing during the pandemic and how they impinged on women with disabilities' livelihoods. Findings reveal that the pandemic, particularly the lockdowns, greatly and negatively impacted the livelihoods of women with disabilities, who mainly depend on the informal sector through vending, begging, and handouts. The study recommends the provision of targeted sustainable social safety nets for women with disabilities in times of shocks and stresses such as pandemics to cushion them from the devastating effects brought about by such eventualities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging evidence supports a phased approach to trauma treatment, including manualised group-based interventions, to facilitate symptom reduction resulting from complex trauma sequelae. This study investigates the efficacy of Survive and Thrive, a 10-week group psychoeducational course for adult survivors of interpersonal trauma. Between August 2019 and February 2022, participants were enrolled on the course. The Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation—Outcome Measure (CORE-OM) and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale—Short Form (DERS-SF) were administered pre-intervention and immediately post-intervention. In addition, thematic analysis was applied to qualitative feedback. Results revealed significant reductions in CORE-OM and DERS-SF scores post-intervention, with minimal variability in scores attributed to group delivery (either face-to-face or online). The thematic analysis demonstrated that normalising trauma symptoms and providing coping skills positively impacted participants' experiences. At the same time, the breadth and nature of the content were observed to be an occasional barrier to engagement. In summary, this study proposes that group-based psychoeducational interventions are generally effective for those with mild-to-moderate symptoms of complex trauma. However, further evidence is needed to offer more nuanced recommendations for identifying individuals who may benefit the most from these interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The important role of schools in supporting children experiencing bereavement is established, yet less is known about how school curricula include death as part of life and this limits our understanding of the systemic structures that shape children's knowledge and experience of death. To address this gap, this paper discusses an analysis of the Scottish curriculum to explore the extent to which death features in compulsory education for children aged 3 to 15 years. The findings show that whilst death is present across the curricula, certain types of 'knowing' death are promoted, largely situated across religious teaching, which may limit children's engagement with the multiple and complex ways in which death features across individual, social, physical, and relational domains. By integrating the concepts of death systems and death ambivalence, the paper develops new knowledge on the interplay between curricula and sense making around death in children's lives that has practical utility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Devolution in the United Kingdom heralded a significant change in democratic arrangements including associated accountability mechanisms in the form of public accounts committees (PACs) in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This paper investigates whether devolved arrangements have resulted in enhanced accountability. Based on documentary sources, survey data, and interviews with key stakeholders, this study finds that all three jurisdictions have a high level of public accountability, with Wales being the most effective PAC. While there are significant differences in the information and discussion phases of the committees' work, all three regions have comparable outcomes as a result of their deliberations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on data from a study of middle- to upper-middle class Scottish S2 (~seventh grade) students who participated in Inspiring Purpose, a school-based character development program, during the 2016 to 2017 school year. Directed by their teachers, participating youth reflected on values and future aspirations and researched and wrote about an inspiring person. We examine the hypotheses that youth who select a more proximal inspiring figure and/or make a personal connection with that person will demonstrate higher developmental outcomes in the areas of confidence, contribution, self-reflection, goal development, and self-concept. We connected 230 student posters of inspirational figures, 34 youth interviews, and 462 student surveys. Mixed-method analysis revealed students were more likely to describe proximal figures as inspiring and make explicit personal connections over the course of their engagement with the Inspiring Purpose program. Moreover, youth who made personal connections were more likely to score higher on confidence, general self-concept, and contribution. These results suggest that when youth see themselves in inspiring figures and firmly articulate this connection, this can spur beneficial developmental outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers reflections about the use of a longitudinal qualitative research design in a project which explored the long term impacts of flooding in two communities in North‐East Scotland. A temporal turn in the social sciences has raised the profile of longitudinal qualitative approaches, research whose diachronic framing allows trajectories and nuanced understandings of change to emerge. With reference to research which utilised a planned prospective longitudinal design, we offer reflections on methodological and project management 'lessons learnt' from undertaking a longitudinal qualitative study. Our experiences highlighted the importance of: (i) participant recruitment processes, including a need to 'oversample' to accommodate anticipated attrition rates; (ii) developing and sustaining a relationship between participants and researchers; (iii) reporting interim findings to participants, the funder and flood risk management stakeholders via a project Steering Group in particular; and (iv) agreeing a regular reporting schedule which allowed the funder and stakeholders access to findings during the lifetime of the project which, in turn, allowed impact to be generated before the final report was presented. In sharing our experiences our intention is twofold: to open a debate in human geography about how longitudinal qualitative research could be used more widely, in natural hazards research, rural community change and other research areas; and to illustrate that longitudinal qualitative research generates insights that can contribute to evidence‐based policy development, implementation and evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Being the 'mother' of most clinical specialties, general practice is as old as medicine itself. However, as a recognized academic discipline within medical schools, general practice has a relatively short life span. A decisive step forward was taken in 1956 when the University of Edinburgh established its Department of General Practice, and appointed the world's inaugural professor in the field in 1963. During the 1960s, the pioneering move in Edinburgh was followed by universities in the Netherlands (University of Utrecht), Canada (Western University, Ontario), and Norway (University of Oslo), marking the beginning of global academic recognition for general practice/family medicine. Despite its critical role in healthcare, the academic evolution of general practice has been sparingly documented, with a notable absence of comprehensive accounts detailing its integration into medical schools as an independent discipline with university departments and academic professors. Last year (2023) marked the 60th anniversary of Dr. Richard Scott's historic appointment as the first professor of General Practice/Family Medicine. Through the lens of the first four professors appointed between 1963 and 1969, we explore the 'birth' of general practice to become an academic discipline. In most western countries of today, general practice has become a recognized medical discipline and an important part of the medical education. But many places, this development is lagging behind. The global shaping of general practice into an academic discipline is therefore definitively not completed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The aim of this study is to compare quality of diabetes care in people with type 2 diabetes by ethnicity, in Scotland. Methods: Using a linked national diabetes registry, we included 162,122 people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes between 2009 and 2018. We compared receipt of nine guideline indicated processes of care in the first‐year post‐diabetes diagnosis using logistic regression, comparing eight ethnicity groups to the White group. We compared annual receipt of HbA1c and eye screening during the entire follow‐up using generalised linear mixed effects. All analyses adjusted for confounders. Results: Receipt of diabetes care was lower in other ethnic groups compared to White people in the first‐year post‐diagnosis. Differences were most pronounced for people in the: African, Caribbean or Black; Indian; and other ethnicity groups for almost all processes of care. For example, compared to White people, odds of HbA1c monitoring were: 44% lower in African, Caribbean or Black people (OR 0.56 [95% CI 0.48, 0.66]); 47% lower in Indian people (OR 0.53 [95% CI 0.47, 0.61]); and 50% lower in people in the other ethnicity group (OR 0.50 [95% CI 0.46, 0.58]). Odds of receipt of eye screening were 30%–40% lower in most ethnic groups compared to the White group. During median 5 year follow‐up, differences in HbA1c monitoring and eye screening largely persisted, but attenuated slightly for the former. Conclusions: There are marked ethnic disparities in routine diabetes care in Scotland in the short‐ and medium‐term following diabetes diagnosis. Further investigation is needed to establish and effectively address the underlying reasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the growing academic and policy interest in social enterprises, existing debates fail to answer how these organizations innovate without compromising their social mission. In particular, the mechanisms that assist social enterprises to innovate in line with their mission have been overlooked in the social enterprise literature. Through an empirical study of four social enterprises in Scotland, UK, we focus on Design Thinking and show that, through stimulating the engagement of diverse stakeholders, generating organizational knowledge and challenging traditional power dynamics, Design Thinking assists social enterprises in inducing missionaligned innovation. Through the lens of Intellectual Capital theory, our article shows the applicability of Design Thinking in the field of social entrepreneurship, and draws implications for policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐level political support for restorative justice in Scotland is at its strongest for many years, and yet its availability is lower now than in the mid‐2000s. To explore the reasons behind this paradox, we undertook an oral history project focused on the origins and development of restorative justice in Scotland. Based on 15 interviews with professionals, we tracked how the nature, objectives and scale of restorative justice has evolved in Scotland over time. Our analysis shows how the meaning and purpose of justice initiatives can shift, providing insight into policy development and broader debates about the role of justice responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature-based solutions are increasingly advocated to mitigate climate change and biodiversity loss, while improving ecosystem resilience and providing additional ecosystem services. In Scotland, woodland expansion and restoration of degraded peatlands are expected to play a major role in meeting net-zero emissions by 2045 and have prompted debates about the impact of increased woodland cover and prescribed fire on the biodiversity and ecosystem services provided by upland landscapes. In alignment with national policy, the Cairngorms National Park, the UK's largest national park, has committed to an ambitious programme of woodland expansion and peatland restoration in a landscape dominated by heather moorlands that is predominantly managed through prescribed burning for game management. Using the Native Woodland Model and the InVest modelling platform, we assessed the effects of five land cover and land use change scenarios, with different levels of prescribed fire regulation and woodland expansion, to evaluate their benefits and costs on biodiversity and carbon sequestration. Results show that changing the extent and management of habitats will result in different carbon sequestration pathways, as well as biodiversity winners and losers. The scenario presenting greater benefits for the conservation of biodiversity also has lower above-ground carbon sequestration potential and a larger negative impact on red grouse habitats, thus being less profitable to sporting estates. Hence, trade-offs will be necessary to achieve optimal carbon sequestration and biodiversity gains, with a potential role played by the continuation of prescribed fires and traditional moorland management practices as well as complementary grants and support measures based on biodiversity benefits rather than carbon sequestration. The results from this study could support discussions regarding future management of the uplands, trade-offs between loss of carbon in soils, carbon sequestration in woodlands and conservation of biodiversity, as well as stakeholders likely to be affected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing concern among policymakers and researchers about the negative health and climate impacts of meat consumption. Consumers are encouraged to re-evaluate their dietary choices to preserve our ecosystem and reduce the burden of diet-related diseases. However, limited information is available about how price changes in animal protein sources affect plant-based protein demand and the consequences for nutrient intake and/or diet quality. The goal of the present paper is to fill this gap by explaining how consumers react to price changes in animal protein types and to present the implications for nutrition or diet quality. This paper applied the exact affine stone index implicit (EASI) Marshallian demand system to 2021 home scan panel data collated by the Kantar Worldpanel to estimate both price and expenditure elasticities. Twelve food groups of seven animal-based protein products and five plant-based protein products were considered. The results revealed that dairy and eggs are daily necessities for the people of Scotland. The demand for fish and non-dairy milk are the most sensitive to price. Estimates based on expenditure elasticities show that beef is considered a luxury and a highly substitutable product in the Scottish diet. Peas are relatively basic, essential foodstuffs. In general, increasing the price of animal protein sources will shift demand towards plant protein. On the positive side, there will be a significant reduction in cholesterol and fat purchases. However, there would also be a significant reduction in the total amount of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats, such as unsaturated fatty acids, purchased by the average household. This shows that increases in plant-based protein are not enough to compensate for the reductions in essential macro- and micronutrient purchases from animal protein. From the climate perspective, reductions in meat purchases could reduce emissions from production and consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Can territorial disputes within countries be a basis for affective polarization? If so, how does it vary across territories? A burgeoning literature on affective polarization has largely focused on partisan divisions; we argue that contentious political issues such as those relating to territorial integrity can also be a basis for such affective polarization, where citizens feel concord with those sharing such policy preferences and animus for those who do not. We specify hypotheses about territorial‐policy‐based affective polarization and bring comparative survey evidence from three European regions with salient and contentious territorial claims: Scotland, Catalonia and Northern Ireland. While these three cases encompass different outcomes of territorial disputes, our results show strikingly similar levels of affective polarization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Drug‐related deaths in Scotland more than doubled between 2011 and 2020. To inform policymakers and understand drivers of this increase, we estimated the number of people with opioid dependence aged 15–64 from 2014/15 to 2019/20. Design: We fitted a Bayesian multi‐parameter estimation of prevalence (MPEP) model, using adverse event rates to estimate prevalence of opioid dependence jointly from Opioid Agonist Therapy (OAT), opioid‐related mortality and hospital admissions data. Estimates are stratified by age group, sex and year. Setting: Scotland, 2014/15 to 2019/20. Participants: People with opioid dependence and potential to benefit from OAT, whether ever treated or not. Using data from the Scottish Public Health Drug Linkage Programme, we identified a baseline cohort of individuals who had received OAT within the last 5 years, and all opioid‐related deaths and hospital admissions (whether among or outside of this cohort). Measurements Rates of each adverse event type and (unobserved) prevalence were jointly modelled. Findings The estimated number and prevalence of people with opioid dependence in Scotland in 2019/20 was 47 100 (95% Credible Interval [CrI] 45 700 to 48 600) and 1.32% (95% CrI 1.28% to 1.37%). Of these, 61% received OAT during 2019/20. Prevalence in Greater Glasgow and Clyde was estimated as 1.77% (95% CrI 1.69% to 1.85%). There was weak evidence that overall prevalence fell slightly from 2014/15 (change −0.07%, 95% CrI ‐0.14% to 0.00%). The population of people with opioid dependence is ageing, with the estimated number of people aged 15–34 reducing by 5100 (95% CrI 3800 to 6400) and number aged 50–64 increasing by 2800 (95% CrI 2100 to 3500) between 2014/15 and 2019/20. Conclusions: The prevalence of opioid dependence in Scotland remained high but was relatively stable, with only weak evidence of a small reduction, between 2014/15 and 2019/20. Increased numbers of opioid‐related deaths can be attributed to increased risk among people with opioid dependence, rather than increasing prevalence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: On 1 May 2018, Scotland introduced minimum unit pricing (MUP), a strength‐based floor price below which alcohol cannot be sold, throughout all alcoholic beverages. The legislation necessitates an evaluation of its impact across a range of outcomes that will inform whether MUP will continue beyond its sixth year. We measured the impact of MUP on per‐adult alcohol sales (as a proxy for consumption) after 3 years of implementation. Design, setting and participants: Controlled interrupted time‐series regression was used to assess the impact of MUP on alcohol sales in Scotland after 3 years of implementation, with England and Wales (EW) being the control group. In adjusted analyses, we included household disposable income, on‐trade alcohol sales (in off‐trade analyses) and substitution between drink categories (in drink category analyses) as covariates. Measurements: Weekly data were assessed on the volume of pure alcohol sold in Scotland and EW between January 2013 and May 2021, expressed as litres of pure alcohol per adult. The impact of MUP on total (on‐ and off‐trade combined), off‐trade and on‐trade alcohol sales was assessed separately. Results: The introduction of MUP in Scotland was associated with a 3.0% (95% confidence interval = 1.8−4.2%) net reduction in total alcohol sales per adult after adjustment for the best available geographical control, disposable income and substitution. This reflects a 1.1% fall in Scotland in contrast to a 2.4% increase in EW. The reduction in total alcohol sales in Scotland was driven by reduced sales of beer, spirits, cider and perry. The reduction in total sales was due to reductions in sales of alcohol through the off‐trade. There was no evidence of any change in on‐trade alcohol sales. Conclusion: Minimum unit pricing has been effective in reducing population‐level alcohol sales in Scotland in the 3 years since implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analysed the pollen and spores extracted from 73 samples of lacustrine sediments from Colesdalen in Svalbard (Lake Tenndammen) as well as 10 soil samples collected from the lake's shores. In total, 56 pollen taxa were recorded from the sediments spanning the last 800 years, whilst 35 pollen types were found in the soil samples. Pollen was categorised as (i) regional (from Svalbard); (ii) exotic to Svalbard today; or (iii) of mixed or unclear origin. Major changes in pollen assemblages after ca 1900 CE were associated with human impact. Around 1920 CE, the first signs of introduced plant taxa were identified, by the presence of Apiaceae and Fabaceae pollen. Additionally, large-sized pollen with a thick exine and annulus diameter of 10.6–13 μm, identified as Poaceae/Cerealia type, was constantly present after ca 1920 CE. Other exotic pollen, including Ulmus, Juglans, and tropical pollen of Albizia/Mimosa type, Eucalyptus type, Acalypha type, and Passiflora type, are found only during the 1930s to 1960s, which is the period associated with the most intensive mining activity and human migration to and from Colesdalen. Furthermore, the repeated occurrence of Myrica (gale) type and Erica type occurring both in the lake sediment and in the soil samples is best explained by the migration of geese from Scotland (UK). Our research demonstrates how precisely human history can be reflected in the lake sediments of the Arctic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the extent to which people drinking at harmful levels responded to minimum unit pricing (MUP) in Scotland in the way they, family members and those providing services anticipated they would. It examines data taken from a larger evaluation of the impact of MUP on people who are drinking at harmful levels. Qualitative interview data, (utilizing interviews and focus groups, with individuals, treatment services, and family members) was generated prior to the implementation of MUP in Scotland to provide insights into anticipated responses and comparable data generated across an extended 19-month period post-implementation and provided insights into actual responses. Overall, the data showed consistency between anticipated and actual responses, with fewer differences observed. In line with anticipated responses, many drinkers switched from cheap, strong ciders to other alcohol products, notably vodka. They consistently responded to the decrease in alcohol affordability by utilizing existing behavior such as managing finances and prioritizing spends on alcohol, including borrowing money, foregoing essentials, and using savings. There was less evidence of anticipated harmful consequences of MUP occurring, such as increased crime, switching to other drugs, or examples of acute withdrawal. Drinkers and those living and working with them, have a good command of how alcohol affordability is maintained or impacts on expenditure and other choices, and how they respond to any decrease in affordability including the introduction of minimum price policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stratigraphically important ostracod taxa Palaeocytheridea milanovskyi Lyubimova, 1955 and P. nikitini Lyubimova, 1955 from the lower Callovian of the East European Platform and Northern Germany are revised. P. nikitini is reduced to a synonym of P. milanovskyi. P. milanovskyi is proposed as the type species for the new genus Bathoniella from the lower Bathonian–lower Callovian (Ishmae–Calloviense zones). Three more species: B. prima sp. nov., B. paenultima sp. nov. and B. ultima sp. nov. are included in Bathoniella gen. nov. A new—bathoniellid—subtype of sexual dimorphism is described. This is also characteristic of another new genus, Parabathoniella, with the type species Acanthocythere elongata Wakefield, 1994 from the lower–middle Bathonian (Tenuiplicatus–Progracilis zones) of the Inner Hebrides, Scotland, as well as the genus Mandelstamia from the upper Jurassic and lower Cretaceous of Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article sets out and critically analyses the state of current knowledge on Widening Participation at higher education institutions in Scotland and sets forth avenues for further research. Through a semi‐systematic review of the literature, six discrete but overlapping themes relating to Widening Participation are identified, namely, (1) factors affecting the decision to apply to university, (2) the transition from high school or further education into university, (3) contextualised admissions, (4) completion and level of attainment, (5) economic, social and cultural capital and (6) equality, diversity and inclusion. The study finds that while clear progress has been made by higher education institutionstowards achieving quantitative government targets for student recruitment from underrepresented groups, there is an absence of studies and knowledge about the qualitative lived experiences of students as they transition through university, how students negotiate a sense of fit with institutional systems, and what targeted supports they may require to succeed. Avenues for further research which addresses these gaps in the knowledge base are put forward, namely, (1) broaden the academic base and interdisciplinarity of Widening Participation research, (2) reform and extend measures of success beyond admissions and attainment, (3) evolve institutional level support for transition into higher education, (4) develop more nuanced understandings of contextualised admissions and (5) investigate and gain deeper understandings of how the lived experiences of Widening Participation students shape and inform their journey through, experience of and attainment at university. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Practice-based education is an essential component of pre-registration physiotherapy programs, and there is a need for a contemporary review of practice-based educational experiences. The aim of this study was to explore physiotherapy practice educators' experiences of supporting learners to inform considerations for future workforce development. This was a mixed methods sequential explanatory study based in the United Kingdom (UK). Phase one of the study utilized an online survey disseminated via the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) professional networks. Phase two consisted of three semi-structured focus group interviews with participants who expressed an interest via completion of the online survey. All were registered or associate CSP members who actively support practice-based education. A total of 208 participants completed the online survey and a sub-set of 15 participated in online focus groups. Quantitative survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Initial thematic analysis of qualitative data from both phases was undertaken by one researcher. Subsequent analyses were carried out independently by the remaining research team, and comparisons were made to agree on codes, categories, and themes. The practice educator is vital in developing the future workforce (30%, n = 61, strongly agree). Identified challenges included supervising more than one learner (34%, n = 67 not at all experienced) and using technology to provide alternative placement models (45%, n = 87 not at all experienced). Practice educators need accessible opportunities for professional development. Practice-based education should be embedded as an integral component of all staff roles. A team approach is essential to developing the future physiotherapy workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social work aspires to empowerment ideals, including taking a 'non-expert' position of professional curiosity, and validating the perspectives of people in contact with services. Yet in child protection, social workers are involved in practice that refutes the views and opinions of people and are positioned by their role as an identifier of abuse and risk manager. Social workers and people who are subject to child protection services can be locked into meaning battles regarding the effect of parental behaviour and the representation of risks to children. These negotiations over meanings are especially difficult in the pre and perinatal period, where who controls the representation of the baby's voice or best interests is fundamental to decision outcomes. Using Fricker's concept of 'testimonial injustice' as an analytical lens, this article draws on studies in two different contexts: Aotearoa New Zealand and Scotland, to examine the implications of the intense mediation of meanings that affect child protection practice. We find that concepts relating to the importance of mothering, love for children, and extended family relationships were sources of mother's disagreements with professional views of risk, but that through qualified agreement or advocacy from community workers, a shared risk narrative could be constructed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper outlines the journey of one Scottish primary school in taking nurturing approaches forward over a 5‐year period, with the aims of improving staff understanding of their role and feeling skilled in using nurturing approaches and improving pupil's health and well‐being and confidence. Using an action research methodology and the local authority How Nurturing is our school framework (Fife Council Educational Psychology Service, 2022), an audit of current practice was undertaken, and priorities identified at universal, additional and intensive levels were put in place. Evaluation data were gathered in a variety of formats from pupils, staff, and parents. Analysis of the evaluation data indicates that pupils had improved understanding of their emotions and how to manage these, staff were experiencing improved relationships and ethos across the school and parents were happy with the support their children were being offered via the nurturing approaches. There was visible improvement in the physical environments, staff thrived on the personal coaching offered and more nurturing practice could be seen and heard throughout the school. It is concluded that the project has made a sustained impact on the health and well‐being of pupils and is now embedded in the school culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To describe the trends in the nature of general practices in Scotland between 2014/15 and 2023. Descriptive ecological study. We obtained data from Public Health Scotland and used general practitioner (GP) practice codes, practice names, and the General Medical Council (GMC) numbers of their listed GPs to describe trends in practice characteristics and to identify individual practices that were likely to be operating as a single entity. Defining practice entities is difficult because different GP practice codes are often retained when GPs are performing across multiple practices. If GP practice codes alone are used, the median practice list size increased from 5094 to 5881, and the mean from 5588 to 6289, between 2013/14 and 2020/21. There was one outlier practice that grew to have over 45,000 patients registered by 2020/21. However, this underestimates the extent of this new mega-practice phenomenon. Using the GMC numbers of GPs listed as performers to identify where the same GPs are working across multiple GP practice codes, we identified a series of mega-practices that span across health board areas and which have experienced a dramatic increase in their list size (with the two largest having list sizes of over 101,000 and 77,000 patients, respectively). Further research is needed to better understand: how mega-practices provide services and whether this differs from other practices; where financial rewards accumulate within mega-practices; differences in staffing between mega-practices and other models; and the impacts mega-practices have on the quality and continuity of care and on health and inequality outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critical systems heuristics (CSH) is a framework that facilitates reflective practice in exploring and solving complex management problems. Several applications have demonstrated the utility of CSH for addressing problems concerning the environment and sustainability. As such, we apply CSH to explore perspectives on agroecological transition in Scotland. In interviews with 10 farmers, agricultural professionals, and researchers, we demonstrate the utility of boundary critique as a practice for unpacking the judgements that underpin perspectives on Scottish farming. Moreover, we derive a series of practical insights and recommendations to progress agroecological transition in Scotland, including: support for a greater diversity of farming systems; action across the entire food system to avoid 'lock-ins'; improved tools to measure farming outcomes; and nuanced and precise conversations regarding the nature and purpose of agroecological farming. We hope that our accessible and transparent approach might encourage the uptake of CSH research among systems researchers and practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The city of Glasgow, once dubbed the 'murder capital of Europe', has more recently become famed for its experiments in violence reduction. In this article, based on a large-scale study of violence reduction, we focus on the discursive construction of this so-called 'Glasgow miracle'. Based on interviews with 40 senior stakeholders working in Scotland during the period 2000–2020, we explore the significance of dramatic personal stories of tragedy, redemption, and rebirth in shifting the public narrative around violence. In so doing, we contribute new empirical and theoretical evidence to narrative criminology, demonstrate the conditions under which progressive policies can come to the fore, and interrogate the role of storytellers in communicating these stories with persuasion and influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why do substate actors engage in foreign affairs even if endowed with limited formal powers? How are these activities institutionalised and legitimised? This article addresses these questions by examining a critical case: the rise of Scotland's international development cooperation. The spotlight is put on the domestic sources of foreign policy formation. Our core argument is that the politics of nation-building underpins both the ambition and the increased distinctiveness of the Scottish approach to development. This nation-building effort is mainly reflected in the emergence of an assertive narrative: 'Scotland as a good global citizen'. Another core insight is the strong articulation between domestic and international representations. The external projections of the Scottish Government mirror the domestic agenda. Our article places the striking Scottish case in analytical and comparative perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dating from 1770 until 1960, the surviving borrowing records of the Royal High School of Edinburgh provide a unique insight into children's reading habits at a time when evidence of such reading experiences is scant. When analysed alongside library catalogues, acquisition records, and evidence of the school curriculum, these reveal the way in which a school library was used by children throughout its history. Homing in on a particular point in the library's history and taking as its focal point the sizeable bequest of books by the merchant and former pupil George Grindlay in 1801, this article argues that the unedited inclusion of books from a home library influenced, and coincided with, a decisive shift in the use of the school library towards more recreational, practical, and individualised reading experiences at a time when the school curriculum was also broadening and modernising to meet changing educational expectations in an increasingly industrialised and cosmopolitan society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: In this study we examine whether hospitalized coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia increases long-term cardiovascular mortality more than other hospitalized pneumonias in people with type 2 diabetes and aim to quantify the relative cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality risks associated with COVID-19 versus non-COVID-19 pneumonia. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: With use of the SCI-Diabetes register, two cohorts were identified: individuals with type 2 diabetes in 2016 and at the 2020 pandemic onset. Hospital and death records were linked for determination of pneumonia exposure and CVD deaths. Poisson regression estimated rate ratios (RRs) for CVD death associated with both pneumonia types, with adjustment for confounders. Median follow-up durations were 1,461 days (2016 cohort) and 700 days (2020 cohort). RESULTS: The adjusted RR for CVD death following non-COVID-19 pneumonia was 5.51 (95% CI 5.31–5.71) prepandemic and 7.3 (6.86–7.76) during the pandemic. For COVID-19 pneumonia, the RR was 9.13 (8.55–9.75). Beyond 30 days post pneumonia, the RRs converged, to 4.24 (3.90–4.60) for non-COVID-19 and 3.35 (3.00–3.74) for COVID-19 pneumonia, consistent even with exclusion of prior CVD cases. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitalized pneumonia, irrespective of causal agent, marks an increased risk for CVD death immediately and over the long-term. COVID-19 pneumonia poses a higher CVD death risk than other pneumonias in the short-term, but this distinction diminishes over time. These insights underscore the need for including pneumonia in CVD risk assessments, with particular attention to the acute impact of COVID-19 pneumonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virus diseases represent important economic threats to seed potato production worldwide, yet relatively little is known of their epidemiology at the landscape‐scale. In this study, data was compiled from the Scottish national seed potato classification scheme on the incidence of 10 different potato viruses for the years 2009–2022. A co‐occurrence analysis identified that 12 virus species pairs occurred together more often than expected by chance, and potato blackleg was positively associated with eight potato viruses. ArcGIS was used to investigate spatial and spatiotemporal variation in incidence rates of the three most prevalent viruses (potato virus Y, potato leaf roll virus and potato virus A), and this revealed prominent geographic differences in long‐term disease outcomes. Focusing on potato virus Y as the most commonly occurring single infection, interpretable machine‐learning techniques were used to investigate the influence of key crop, management and environmental factors on patterns of incidence in space and time. The results showed that health characteristics of seed stocks were among the most important predictors of incidence, along with blackleg infection, several management features, cultivar resistance, distance to the nearest seed and ware crop, temperature variables and several soil features. This approach provides a comprehensive overview of potato viruses in Scotland, a deeper understanding of epidemiological risk factors at the landscape‐scale and a forecast model that could serve as the basis of a decision support tool for improved management of potato virus Y. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study explored the experiences of Asian International Students (AISs) in terms of mental health, disclosure and help-seeking within Higher Education in Scotland, UK. A qualitative study using individual semi-structured interviews with AISs (n = 20) was used and an inductive thematic approach to analysis was conducted. Three major themes were developed: (1) Negative beliefs, stigma and fear of judgment, (2) Adaptation and acculturation difficulties and (3) Barriers in communication, social disconnection and loneliness. Supporting AISs involves challenging negative judgements surrounding mental health, increasing mental health literacy and addressing barriers that may inhibit disclosure and help-seeking behaviour. The need for culturally sensitive mental health practitioners and awareness of diverse understandings of mental health issues is essential to improving support for AISs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article extends knowledge of sixteenth-century Scottish textual production by exploring the range of writing activities undertaken by Robert Ewyn, scribe, chaplain and notary. Ewyn made a copy of Regiam maiestatem in Scots in 1548. This manuscript was held in a private collection until 2016 and is comparatively unknown: a full codicological description and account of its provenance history is offered here. A biographical profile of Robert Ewyn is constructed from references in wills and other public records, revealing his family connections and his links to the Edinburgh crafts community; his career as a notary, pre- and post-reformation, is investigated and documents prepared by him are identified. Ewyn's scribal hand is traced across three very different writing contexts (literary book production, legal documentation and secretarial note-taking); as a result, evidence emerges of the different kinds of handwriting a professional scribe could produce, and of the multiple forms of employment that pre-modern notaries might undertake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nature and capacity of the pre-Covenanter Scottish state has been the subject of some debate. Some descriptions of James VI's government after 1603 suggest it was bureaucratic and centralised, but it was also fiscally weak. Attempts to run naval forces, that were modest in scale but capital-intensive, are used to examine the tensions between that weakness, also evident in the reign of Charles I, and the need for government control. The government's failure in 1625 to get new taxation to support enlarged naval forces to fight Charles I's wars against Spain and France and its turn instead to individual nobles to finance the ships that the government put to sea can be shown to have affected the role the ships played in operations. A narrow support base for the navy, consisting of a few individual nobles and merchants, limited the state's capacity to wage war effectively and contrasts with the broader support Covenanted regimes used later to raise military forces. The difficulty of supporting this squadron, though, also provides context for the minimal Scottish naval efforts of those regimes in the 1640s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While recent scholarly attention has focused on serious, indicatable violent crime in Scotland, this article considers the more common offence of lower-level assault that was dealt with summarily in police magistrate courts in the nineteenth century. It explores the role that police courts played in conceptualising, categorising and processing such violence, the role assault played in Scottish urban communities and the culture that surrounded it. The article also examines how magistrates dealt with assault and what this might suggest about the impact of the police and the courts on violent behavioural patterns. It argues that interpersonal violence had a more important, complex and nuanced role to play in Scottish urban communities than conclusions based on criminal indictments suggest. Assault was a disturbingly accepted facet of conflict resolution, a means of exerting authority and patriarchy in communities and households and an ever-present threat with which a sizeable percentage of the urban masses had to live. The article stresses that the boundaries between lower-level assault that was dealt with summarily and more serious (or 'aggravated') assault that was tried in a higher court on indictment were determined not just by the nature of violence wielded or the injury sustained, but by a raft of social, cultural and practical factors. Indeed, the rise of summary justice in the form of police courts helped to lower indictment rates for serious assault, as magistrates often dealt summarily with assaults that warranted a more serious charge. This is a point that historians need to bear in mind when considering what indictment rates for serious assault reveal about violence in Scotland more broadly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The arrival of a pirate ship in Loch Craignish in 1720 was an episodic occurrence, which introduced a local community in Argyllshire to the process of globalisation, a process marked by the transoceanic movements of people, goods and ideas. For literate Scots, the wider horizons of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries were opened up by novels, travel literature and newsprint. While reading material stimulated the mind and promoted discussion about matters of global interest, actual commodities from overseas variously engaged all the senses. Globalisation became an active rather than a passive experience. Sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste affected all, from the social, commercial and intellectual elites to the woman in the field and the man in the street in early modern Scotland. Nevertheless, public knowledge of where colonial commodities came from became distanced by time. A global awareness of place was retained in families and communities overtly engaged in mercantile and military adventuring, especially when accompanied by death whether through natural causes, misadventure or mortal combat. Illicit activities had a no less profound impact. Indeed, covert people trafficking, enslavement, smuggling, shipwrecking and piracy had a more local immediacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

If Gaelic has been symbolically appropriated to represent Scotland, then it follows that we need to look more closely at the part played by documentary film both of and from the Scottish Hebrides, in furthering the dissemination of what is an idealised and contested identity. As documentary is a negotiated contract between the producer and those they 'represent', the discussion needs to consider whether the representation of a Hebridean identity, and by extension a mythical Scottish identity, is constructed by the filmmaker, and if so, how filmic constraints and practices inform this representation. Within this framework is an acknowledgement of the extent to which Hebridean identity has been mediated by books, photographs and films for the past 300 years. This article will deliver the findings of a research project undertaken in the in the Outer Hebrides (also known as the Western Isles and Lewis & Harris). The research investigates the extent to which interviewees themselves collude with documentary makers in presenting a view of the Gael that reflects the Gaelic-speaker's own self-assigned role as guardian of the land and traditions. As this research marries practice with research, it will present it in a semi-autobiographical style. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: While some factors have been well-shown to affect the decision-making in treating patients with vestibular schwannomas (VS), little is known on the role of deprivation. Our objective was to assess the effect of socioeconomic background on the management of patients with VS. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 460 patients with sporadic VS from West of Scotland. The postcode-based, multifactorial Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) was used to assess the socioeconomic background of each patient. We performed a multivariate analysis including tumour size, growth and patient age with management modality (observation, stereotactic radiotherapy, microsurgery) being the main outcome measure and outcome (need for additional treatment) an additional measure. Results: We found no significant difference in the demographics, tumour characteristics and primary treatment choice between patients with different SIMD scores. In addition, there was no statistically significant difference in the growth occurrence rates following first-line treatment (p = 0.964) and in the second-line treatment choice (p = 0.460). Conclusions: Multiple deprivation does not affect decision making in patients with VS in the examined cohort. This is probably linked to the centralisation and uniformity of the service and might not necessarily be applicable to other health services without centralisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In the United Kingdom, rising prevalence of multimorbidity—the co-occurrence of two or more chronic conditions- is coinciding with stagnation in life expectancy. We investigate patterns of disease accumulation and how they vary by birth cohort, social and environmental inequalities in Scotland, a country which has long suffered from excess mortality and poorer health outcomes relative to its neighbours. Methods Using a dataset which links census data from 1991, 2001 and 2011 to disease registers and hospitalization data, we follow cohorts of adults aged 30–69 years for 18 years. We model physical and mental disease accumulation using linear mixed-effects models. Results Recent cohorts experience higher levels of chronic disease accumulation compared to their predecessors at the same ages. Moreover, in more recently born cohorts we observe socioeconomic status disparities emerging earlier in the life course, which widen over time and with every successive cohort. Patterns of chronic conditions are also changing, and the most common diseases suffered by later born cohorts are cancer, hypertension, asthma, drug and alcohol problems and depression. Conclusion We recommend policies which target prevention of chronic disease in working age adults, considering how and why certain conditions are becoming more prevalent across time and space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Evidence suggests spouses influence each other's subjective views on aging. Aligned with the Theory of Dyadic Illness Management, we investigated for the first time similarities in felt age (how old people feel relative to their chronological age) between people with dementia and their spousal caregivers, and how each partner's felt age was related to psychological correlates in the other partner. Methods We used baseline (2014–2016) data from 1,001 people with dementia and their spousal caregivers who participated in the British Improving the experience of Dementia and Enhancing Active Life study. We ran linear regressions to analyze the extent to which the felt age of people with dementia and their caregivers were similar, and whether relationship quality was associated with the similarity. We utilized actor–partner interdependence models to analyze whether the felt age of people with dementia and their caregivers were associated with each other's well-being, satisfaction with life, and self-efficacy. Results The felt age of people with dementia was associated with the felt age of their caregivers (β = 0.10; p =.001). Caregivers and people with dementia reported a more similar felt age when caregivers rated the caregiving relationship more positively (β = 0.07; p =.04). Caregivers' felt age was associated with well-being (β = 0.07; p =.02) and satisfaction with life (β = 0.06; p =.04), but not with self-efficacy, in people with dementia. Discussion Felt age in caregivers and people with dementia may be interwoven, and important psychological variables in people with dementia are related to caregivers' felt age. Findings offer empirical evidence on dementia caregiving dynamics and how family relationships are related to views on aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fires have been shown to have been common in many Carboniferous ecosystems worldwide yet we still have little understanding of the detail of what, where and how such fires occur or indeed their effects both on the local ecosystem as well as on the Earth System as a whole. The Kingswood Limestone, of late Viséan (Mississippian age) found near Pettycur in Fife, Scotland, is interpreted as being deposited within a crater lake. The limestone contains a range of volcanic clasts together with charcoalified and uncharred plants. Two distinctive communities existed. One dominated by the small scrambling lycopsid Oxroadia that is permineralised and a second dominated by a range of pteridosperms and other gymnosperms preserved as charcoal. Fires surrounding a crater lake charred the plants that were then washed into the lake by post-fire erosion. All plant organs are found as charcoal including woody axes, leaves, pollen organs and ovules. Oxroadia that was living close to the lake was not affected by fire. Rising lake and sea levels allowed saline water to be introduced to the lake and connection to the sea was established. Many new charcoalified plants have still to be formally described. The Kingswood flora, together with the nearby Pettycur flora represents two of the most important Mississippian plant sites globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Findings from cardiovascular outcome trials suggest that fenofibrate therapy may reduce the progression of diabetic retinopathy. Methods: We recruited and followed adults with nonreferable diabetic retinopathy or maculopathy using the national Diabetic Eye Screening (DES) program in Scotland. We randomly assigned participants to receive 145-mg fenofibrate tablets or placebo (taken daily or, in those with impaired renal function, on alternate days). The primary outcome was a composite of developing referable diabetic retinopathy or maculopathy (based on Scotland's DES grading scheme) or treatment (intravitreal injection, retinal laser, vitrectomy) for retinopathy or maculopathy. Results: A total of 1151 participants were randomly assigned to treatment. During a median of 4.0 years, progression to referable diabetic retinopathy or maculopathy, or treatment thereof, occurred in 131 (22.7%) of 576 participants in the fenofibrate group and 168 (29.2%) of 575 in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.58 to 0.91; P=0.006). In the fenofibrate group compared with the placebo group, the frequencies for any progression of retinopathy or maculopathy were 185 (32.1%) vs. 231 (40.2%); hazard ratio, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.61 to 0.90 and for the development of macular edema were 22 (3.8%) vs. 43 (7.5%); hazard ratio, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.30 to 0.84. Seventeen (3.0%) participants assigned fenofibrate and 28 (4.9%) assigned placebo were given treatment for retinopathy (hazard ratio, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.31 to 1.06). There was no effect on visual function, quality of life, or visual acuity. Trial-averaged estimated glomerular filtration rate was 7.9 (95% CI, 6.8 to 9.1) ml/min/1.73 m² lower in participants in the fenofibrate group compared with the placebo group. Serious adverse events occurred in 208 (36.1%) participants allocated fenofibrate and 204 (35.5%) participants allocated placebo. Conclusions: Fenofibrate reduced progression of diabetic retinopathy compared with placebo among participants with early retinal changes. (Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT03439345; ISRCTN number, ISRCTN15073006.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite record investment in Scotland's National Health Service, ever-increasing numbers of people remain in hospital despite being clinically fit for discharge. This paper curiously explores two of the whole-system problems ensuring discharges are delayed and argues that greater investment in, and contractual changes to, social care commissioning is required to support more people to live their best lives in their own homes. A more creative perspective is required to ensure better outcomes for the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]