Transformative consumer research in the new era of marketing: An introduction to the special issue

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Evaluation of two raw Indian and Turkish propolis samples as pre-formualtion study for cosmetic preparations [Presentation]

YesGhaida Mustafa is receiving a scholarship for her PhD study by the Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the future program

Planetary health leadership to drive climate action across pharmaceutical supply chains: insights from qualitative research and a call to action

YesIntroduction: Pharmaceutical manufacture, delivery, and use produces an estimated 10-55% of national health care greenhouse gas emissions. Addressing pharmaceutical supply chain emissions is essential to mitigating health care’s climate impact. Our research aimed to explore the constraints to pharmaceutical supply chain climate action, and how planetary health leadership can overcome these challenges. Methods: We conducted 21 narrative interviews with representatives from pharmaceutical companies, and industry and health system stakeholders. Interviews explored perspectives on climate action across pharmaceutical supply chains. Analysis was informed by argumentative discourse analysis enabling identification of key storylines. Results: Climate action across pharmaceutical supply chains is sporadic and insufficient to achieve health system climate goals. Critical constraints to climate action include: (a) structural constraints, particularly complex, fragmented, global supply chains as well as restrictive net zero infrastructure in some countries where supply chains operate, and (b) conceptual constraints, the ‘patient-profit-planet dilemma’, where climate action is perceived to conflict with patient wellbeing and financial considerations. Planetary health leadership can help overcome these constraints in three key ways. Firstly, planetary health leadership can help reconceptualise health care delivery, and the role of pharmaceuticals, to align patient and planetary wellbeing whilst meeting financial pressures. Secondly, planetary health leadership can mobilise collective climate action across pharmaceutical supply chains, reframing climate change as a shared problem, and challenging issues of transparency, competition, and blame. Thirdly, planetary health leadership can challenge wider systems that constrain climate action, leveraging the economic and political power of pharmaceutical supply chains to drive global decarbonisation efforts. Conclusion: Planetary health leadership must confront considerable constraints to embed planetary health considerations across pharmaceutical supply chains. Leaders in this space must be willing to go against the status quo, challenge entrenched norms and structures, to enable wider spread and support for sustainable health care deliver

Karnataka: A Dominant Caste ‘Revolt’?

YesThis article explores the changing political dynamics of Karnataka following the 2024 general elections. In 2024, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition comprised of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal Secular party, which together represent the interest of dominant caste groups including Brahmins, Lingayats and Vokkaligas. This was necessitated by the Indian National Congress’ dominant showing in the 2023 state elections, attributed to its coalition of religious minorities, backward castes and Dalits. This paper will show that despite its success in the 2024 elections, the NDA coalition has not yet been fully consolidated. It further argues that the dynamics of contemporary politics in Karnataka may challenge its long-term sustainability. The paper argues that to consolidate this coalition, caste-based campaigning will likely now dominate state-level politics centred around questions of welfare and affirmative action. Communal issues, which marked the previous BJP government’s term in office, will be restricted to parts of the state where it remains socially and politically beneficial.The full-text of this article will be released for public view as soon as possible after the publisher's release date

Cyclic behavior of steel-FRP composite bars reinforced ultra-high performance concrete frames: Experimental, numerical, and restoring force model analysis

YesThis study investigates the seismic performance of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) frame reinforced with steel-FRP composite bars (SFCBs) through cyclic loading tests, finite element modeling, and theoretical analysis. The effect of concrete strength and reinforcement type on the cyclic behavior of frames is examined, focusing on bearing capacity, ductility, performance degradation, energy dissipation, damage and repairability. A refined finite element model is developed using OpenSEES software, and parametric studies is conducted. Based on experimental and numerical results, a restoring force model for SFCB-UHPC frames is proposed. The results demonstrate that replacing normal strength concrete (NSC) with UHPC improves the initial stiffness, bearing capacity, and ductility, enhancing energy dissipation of frames. The steel bar-UHPC frame has a peak load 3.5% and 11% lower than the SFCB-UHPC and basalt FRP (BFRP)-UHPC frames, respectively, with peak displacements reduced by 24% and 42%. Compared with the steel bar-UHPC frame, the SFCB-UHPC frame shows slower performance degradation and better post-earthquake recovery. This study provides a theoretical basis for the analysis and design of SFCB-UHPC frames, offering promising advancements in structural resilience under extreme conditions

K562 chronic myeloid leukemia cells as a dual β3-expressing functional cell line model to investigate the effects of combined αIIbβ3 and αvβ3 antagonism

YesSeveral of the integrin family of cell adhesion receptors have been popular targets for the development of anticancer agents, but with little clinical success to date. Cancer cells usually express multiple redundant integrins; one hypothesis for the lack of efficacy of current antagonists is their high selectivity for a single integrin. To address this, we developed a functional dual-β3-expressing cell model to investigate the effects of combined αIIbβ3/αvβ3 antagonism. We established that treating K562 chronic myeloid leukemia cells with 0.04 μM phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) for 40 h significantly upregulates functional αIIbβ3 and αvβ3 integrins. This optimized method provides a reliable platform for adhesion and detachment assays, enabling the characterization of dual integrin targeting strategies. Using this model, we demonstrate that combining αIIbβ3 and αvβ3 antagonists (GR144053 and cRGDfV) synergistically enhances inhibition of cell adhesion and promotes cell detachment compared to single-agent treatments. Our findings establish a reproducible approach for studying dual β3 integrin targeting, which can be used to investigate potential strategies for overcoming integrin redundancy in cancer therapeutics.Libyan Ministry of Higher Education

Realising Sustainable Access to Water and Sanitation in Africa: Role of Critical Institutions

NoThe current Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report reemphasises the fact that the African continent is particularly vulnerable to the disastrous impact of climate change. The Report highlights the urgent need for countries to adopt critical strategies towards ensuring the actualisation of 1.5 C temperature. Based on low adaptive strategies and geographical location, the impacts of climate change further exacerbate the inherent environmental challenges of the African continent, more so, the struggle to attain poverty-eradication. One of the adverse impacts of climate change is reducing access to water, thus increasing the burden on already water scarce African countries such as South Africa and Nigeria. In cognizance of the fact that access to water and sanitation is critical towards poverty eradication and realising the kind of continent that Africans want by 2063, African countries are increasingly adopting several measures to ensure citizens’ access to water. Taking a regional approach, this paper examines the current institutions and legal framework adopted by regional bodies in Africa, namely the South African Development Community (SADC) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), proffering a practical template that States in sub-Saharan Africa can adopt to resolve this challenge of lack of access to clean, safe drinking water and basic sanitation. The chapter also discusses the existence of an adequate enforcement mechanism that ensures and provides the platform for citizens to assert and protect their right to access clean water and sanitation. Furthermore, the chapter’s focus on South Africa and Nigeria, analyses the extent to which regional frameworks are being adopted, implemented, and sustained at the national level, proffering recommendations which can be adopted by other countries within the sub-Saharan African region

The influence of imaging protocols on complex ankle fracture manipulation in the ED: A before and after study

YesIntroduction: Ankle injuries that present to the ED with instability of the joint due to multiple fractures/disruption of the mortise need to be re-aligned promptly to minimise complications. A protocol change was introduced whereby mobile radiographs would be performed in the ED resuscitation room during manipulation of a complex ankle injury. The aim of this study was to determine if the overall time to definitive reduction had reduced for these patients, improving patient flow. Method: Data was collected from patients attending the ED with a complex or unstable ankle injury in a UK single-centre over 6-months periods, pre pathway introduction (2019), immediately post change (2021) and 2 years post implementation (2023). Results: In excess of 3000 patients had ankle radiographs performed in each cohort of data collection with an average of 2.9 % of injuries categorised as complex or unstable and requiring manipulation, consistent across the cohorts (p = 0.246). Increasing compliance with the new pathway was evident over time with a significant time reduction demonstrated from initial ED presentation to final post manipulation imaging if mobile radiographs were obtained with the mean time 113 min quicker than those performed in the radiology department in 2023 (p = 0.00). Conclusion: Although it takes time to embed new pathways and changes in practice, this study demonstrated that a simple change in imaging provision had a positive impact for patients with a complex ankle injury. Implications for practice: Providing post manipulation radiographs in the ED resuscitation room allowed earlier confirmation of restored anatomical alignment for patients with a complex ankle injury and enabled clinicians to perform multiple manipulation attempts, if necessary, under the same sedation episode

Sustainability literacy evaluating instrument for construction professionals

YesThe construction industry plays a vital role in world economies over various sectors. Moreover, construction is one of the main sectors that significantly contribute to carbon emissions, resulting in global warming, climate change, disturbance of natural habitats, etc. In view of the negativity it causes, decarbonising economic sectors has become a global agenda, seeking to build secure and resilient societies, of which the construction industry is not an exception. However, achieving the desired level of success in decarbonisation has become challenging within the construction industry, especially due to the need for more sustainability literacy among construction professionals. Therefore, this study proposes an instrument to evaluate the sustainability literacy of construction professionals. In achieving the aim of this study, it incorporates a longitudinal research method while relying on secondary data. Data analysis is subjected to content analysis for a better understanding. Overall, the findings revealed that individuals’ environmental background, innovative perspectives of sustainability, the degree of in-depth analysis or the coherent structure of sustainability knowledge, institutional support, psycho-behavioural intervention and managerial influence should be considered in sustainability literacy evaluating instruments. The outcomes of this study are highly useful and significant in attaining sustainability in construction to build resilient communities. Moreover, it is beneficial in assessing the interrelationship between sustainability literacy and sustainable approaches within the construction sector

Improved 2PP additive manufacturing build/process quality via the use of hyperbranched pre-polymer

YesThis study reports the first systematic study investigating the potential of using hyperbranched (HB) polymers as novel materials for improving two photon polymerisation processing. It demonstrated that HB polymer containing additive manufacturing resins can be successfully formulated and used to print: (a) mono-/multi-material structures, the latter containing monomers of different functionality (i.e., hydrophilic/hydrophobic mixes), (b) with a broader range of printing conditions, (c) to high levels of cure and (d) at fast processing speeds than monomeric resins. A printed multi-material structure was confirmed to contain both feed materials and exhibit high cure by ToF-SIMS and Raman analysis, respectively. Thus, HBs were shown to improve mixing in multi-functional resins and overcome 2PP chemistry restrictions. When processing with selected HBs, both the polymerisation “onset” and “burning” thresholds were improved compared to monomeric resins. Processing more reactive HBs still increased the overall processing window compared to the 2PP processing of the equivalent monomer, but the “burning” threshold was in fact lowered, which was linked to depolymerisation events. Thus, a HB was subject to degradation studies and shown to produced more residual material (i.e. “char”) than linear materials, which delivers the decolourisation in 2PP “burning”. This study confirms that using HB’s can extend the viability and utility of 2PP processing, improvements that were delivered by understanding the reactivity of these pre-polymers toward both polymerisation and depolymerisation.EPSRC funding via: (a) the “Formulation for 3D printing: Creating a plug and play platform for a disruptive UK industry grant” (EP/N024818/1) and (b) the Decarbonising The Acrylic Value Chain via Resource Circularity prosperity partnership grant jointly funded by the Mitsubishi Chemical Co (UK) Ltd (EP/V038052/1)