Advanced practice roles amongst therapeutic radiographers/radiation therapists: A European survey

Introduction Advanced Practice (AP) roles in Radiotherapy (RT) over time are variable, often locally developed and not underpinned by professional standards which leads to conceptual and practical gaps. This study aimed to assess AP roles amongst Therapeutic Radiographers/Radiation Therapists (TR/RTTs) and identify educational gaps for this level across Europe. Methods An anonymous online survey was designed, validated, and distributed across Europe. Convenience sampling was used to recruit advanced TR/RTTs practitioners or TR/RTTs working in AP roles. Descriptive analysis from closed questions and thematic analyses from open questions are reported. Results A total of 272 responses were obtained, of which 189 eligible participations were from 21 European countries. 42% of respondents acknowledged additional education required to perform AP, and 25% reported a minimum of five years of RT practice to perform AP roles/tasks. There is a trend to work more on the clinical practice domain with a low percentage of working time allocated to research. Inconsistency was found in job titles, scopes of practice, and educational backgrounds across and even within countries. Education needs regarding knowledge about image-guided and adaptive RT, multimodal imaging and technologies, and advanced treatment planning were found. Training needs on leadership and management skills and clinical site-specific expertise were identified. Conclusion This study clearly shows a gap in education support, a need for standardisation in job titles and scopes of practice across Europe. Implications for practice As the first large-scale assessment of current AP roles and educational support amongst TR/RTTs across Europe, this study recommends the establishment of governance structure and role regulation. It also informs the curricula for master programmes to align the education with current and future practice

A product and organisational architecture analysis of the performance of Southeast Asian airlines

In this study, the operating environment's attributes and its influence on the performance of airlines in Southeast Asia are assessed through a comprehensive literature review and performance analysis. As a first step, a Pareto Analysis is performed to assess the capacity contribution of registered airlines in the Southeast Asia region, totalling 65 in 2019. Then, seven of the largest Southeast Asian airlines, representing 80% of total capacity in the region, are taken forward into an in-depth benchmarking and Product and Organisational Architecture (POA) performance analysis. The research pinpoints key differences between Full-Service Carriers and Low-Cost Carriers in the region through a series of 13 metrics applied in the POA. It was found that the region's FSCs scored better at Product Architecture, which includes convenience, comfort and connectivity, whilst the LCCs strength was in the Organisational Structure component, namely fleet and labour productivity, sales and distribution, and airport attractiveness, especially in the case of AirAsia

Mothers at the wall: Using creative nonfiction techniques to explore climbing and motherhood.

In this chapter we explore some of the competing discourses of climbing and motherhood, and the associated discourses of risk and responsibility, which inform a sense of self for mothers who climb. Creative nonfiction techniques are employed to understand, and then convey, the complex and contradictory nature of such discourses, and further allow for multiple and contingent interpretations of the findings. The premise and benefits of creative nonfiction are first explored in relation to this particular research study and then the resultant story is presented and finally deconstructed and discussed using a Foucauldian lens. However, in the literary tradition that informs the chapter, the reader is encouraged to see this as just one possible direction for discussion, as a dais for further dialogue, and to suggest alternative meanings based on their own situated understanding

Likeness of a Murderer

Justice hunts down a terrified man, when he discovers his ancestor may have committed a gruesome crime . .

Green Innovation as a Mediator between Green Human Resource Management Practices and Sustainable Performance in Palestinian Manufacturing Industries

Green human resources management (GHRM) is a critical research issue that has emerged in recent decades. This study aims to investigate the effect of GHRM practices on sustainable performance, with green innovation as a mediating variable, in manufacturing firms in Palestine. To this end, a research model was developed, and a self-administered questionnaire was designed and distributed to a random sample of top management personnel in manufacturing firms in Palestine. The research model was assessed via the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) using the Smart-PLS software, based on a sample of 58 responses. The model revealed that GHRM practices, green innovation, and sustainable performance are implemented at a moderate level. Moreover, the results confirmed that GHRM practices and green innovation have significant positive effects on sustainable performance. GHRM practices also positively and significantly affect green innovation. Green innovation partially mediates the relation between GHRM practices and sustainable performance. The results of this research present a conceptual framework and a guideline for policymakers in manufacturing firms on how to use GHRM practices to strengthen employees’ commitment to the environment in order to maximize sustainable performance. Furthermore, the study provides a holistic view of GHRM practices, green innovation, and sustainable performance; such a perspective is considered a foundation for future research directions and provides empirical evidence about the relationships between these variables

Market Developments on Chinese International Air Passenger Markets in Light of COVID-19 Policy Measures

The world’s governments imposed a plethora of restrictions and quarantine rules to prevent the rapid spread of COVID-19. China was chosen for this study as it was the first market to be impacted. The overall aim of this paper was to analyse international air travel to and from China since the start of COVID-19 and to assess the impact of policy initiatives on seat capacity during this time. The key findings are that implementation of the so called Five one policy in March 2020 was associated with an almost immediate reduction in seat capacity on China to the rest of the world, partially suppressing the more typical impact of underlying GDP and air fares on capacity. It was further found that Chinese international gateways, as airports with substantial proportions of international and connecting traffic, remain the most distressed. Long haul international traffic and revenues from European and North American destinations all experienced unprecedented and sharp reductions. Traffic and revenues from other Asian markets was even more sporadic. Alarmingly, the study extracted that revenues from premium classes were deteriorating much faster than economy class, which is of imminent concern for long-haul carriers reliant on premium traffic coming into the pandemic

The Permanent Struggle for Racial Justice in the USA: Interpreting Derrick Bell’s 'The Space Traders'

This paper offers a reading of scholar-activist and critical race theorist Derrick Bell’s controversial science fiction short story 'The Space Traders', first published in 1989, in which the overwhelming majority of white Americans vote to hand over the African American population to visiting extraterrestrials in exchange for a much-needed financial bailout and advanced technology. This paper considers the story’s evolution from a pedagogical text used in law classrooms to raise awareness about racism and stimulate debate; its significance as fiction in Bell’s multiple-story world and one of a dialogical set of texts which includes an epilogue and a sequel; and its deployment of science fiction themes, conventions, and devices. The paper argues that 'Space Traders' contributes to contemporary debates about the afterlife of slavery and the fight for racial justice by making racism’s unfolding history manifest in the here-and-now to encourage a mode of resistance which is grounded in Bell’s personal ethics of struggle and which emphasises ongoing dialogic exchange