The power of relationship-based supervision in supporting social work retention: A case study from long-term ethnographic research in child protection

Supervision is a core component of professional support and development in social work. In many settings, and perhaps particularly in children’s services, it is valued as crucial in safe decision-making, practice reflection, professional development and staff support. Research has demonstrated that supervision and staff support also contribute to social worker retention in child welfare services. Drawing on data gathered in a 15-month ethnographic, longitudinal study of child protection work that included observations of supervision, we were able to observe the impact of supportive supervisory relationships on social workers’ decision-making about staying in their current workplace. This article presents a single case that demonstrates the potential impact of effective relationship-based supervision on retention and calls for a more humane approach to social work supervision against dominant managerial themes that have increasingly burdened the profession

Highly Stable Garnet Fe2Mo3O12 Cathode Boosts the Lithium–Air Battery Performance Featuring a Polyhedral Framework and Cationic Vacancy Concentrated Surface

Lithium–air batteries (LABs), owing to their ultrahigh theoretical energy density, are recognized as one of the next-generation energy storage techniques. However, it remains a tricky problem to find highly active cathode catalyst operating within ambient air. In this contribution, a highly active Fe2Mo3O12 (FeMoO) garnet cathode catalyst for LABs is reported. The experimental and theoretical analysis demonstrate that the highly stable polyhedral framework, composed of FeO octahedrons and MO tetrahedrons, provides a highly effective air catalytic activity and long-term stability, and meanwhile keeps good structural stability. The FeMoO electrode delivers a cycle life of over 1800 h by applying a simple half-sealed condition in ambient air. It is found that surface-rich Fe vacancy can act as an O2 pump to accelerate the catalytic reaction. Furthermore, the FeMoO catalyst exhibits a superior catalytic capability for the decomposition of Li2CO3. H2O in the air can be regarded as the main contribution to the anode corrosion and the deterioration of LAB cells could be attributed to the formation of LiOH·H2O at the end of cycling. The present work provides in-depth insights to understand the catalytic mechanism in air and constitutes a conceptual breakthrough in catalyst design for efficient cell structure in practical LABs

Writing Doctors and Writing Health in the Long Eighteenth Century

This introduction to the special issue ‘Writing Doctors and Writing Health in the Long Eighteenth Century’ explores the various types of literary and visual creativity enacted by medical practitioners as they sought new ways of communicating and engaging with the public. Focusing on the shift from Latin to vernacular publishing in elite medical circles, we examine the proliferation of new opportunities open to physicians, surgeons, apothecaries, medical artists, midwives, and other women practitioners to express themselves. Novels, drama, poetry, artworks, almanacs, and letters, to name but a few creative products of the period, allowed new ideas and underrepresented voices to be heard for the first time, changing forever the way creative and empirical cultures would intertwine. Stemming from the Leverhulme Trust Research Project Writing Doctors: Medical Representation and Personality, ca. 1660–1832 (2018–22), this research has undoubtedly been impacted by the rapidly changing nature of public healthcare in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic that was still ongoing when this issue went to print. We value and celebrate connections made between the past and present that continue to assist us in understanding and caring for our bodies

Macro-moth (Lepidoptera) Diversity of a Newly Shaped Ecological Corridor and the Surrounding Forest Area in the Western Italian Alps

In addition to the compilation of biodiversity inventories, checklists, especially if combined with abundance data, are important tools to understand species distribution, habitat use, and community composition over time. Their importance is even higher when ecological indicator taxa are considered, as in the case of moths. In this work, we investigated macro-moth diversity in a forest area (30 ha) in the Western Italian Alps, recently subjected to intense management activities. Indeed, an ecological corridor, which includes 10 clearings, has been shaped thanks to forest compensation related to the construction site of the Turin–Lyon High-Speed Railway. Here, we identified 17 patches (9 clearings and 8 forests), and we conducted moth surveys using UV–LED light traps. A total of 15,614 individuals belonging to 442 species were collected in 2020 and 2021. Two and fifteen species are new records for Piedmont and for Susa Valley, respectively. In addition to the faunistic interest of the data, this study—using a standardized method—provides geo-referenced occurrences, species-richness, and abundance values useful to compile a baseline dataset for future comparisons. Indeed, the replicable and easy shareable method allows us to make comparisons with other research and thus assess the impact of environmental changes

Stop answering centrist questions: the left can only win when it answers the questions it was founded to pose

This article summarises a series of findings from a programme of research on the viability of Universal Basic Income as a transformative public policy. The findings suggest that the left should stop answering liberal questions. This means no longer being preoccupied by who currently votes and their assumed ‘inherent’ values. Instead, as the left’s founding figures thought, it must consider how the vast majority of the population who would benefit from transformative material change can be persuaded of the benefit of voting for left policies. Our findings suggest that workers are keenly aware of the need for transformative material change and can be persuaded to support that change electorally through narratives that demonstrate specific benefits to specific groups. The findings ought to grant hope to progressive policymakers: change is possible and incrementalism is not an inevitable strategy

Trifunctional Cu-Mesh/Cu2O@FeO-nanoarrays for highly efficient degradation of antibiotic, inactivation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and damage of antibiotics resistance genes

Trifunctional Cu-mesh/Cu2O@FeO-nanoarrays heterostructure is designed and fabricated by integrating Cu2O@FeO-nanoarrays onto Cu-mesh (CM) via an in situ growth and phase-transformation process. It is successfully applied to efficiently mitigate the antibiotic pollution, including degradation of antibiotics, inactivation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) and damage of antibiotics resistance genes (ARGs). Under visible-light irradiation, CM/Cu2O@FeO-nanoarrays exhibits a superior degradation efficiency on antibiotics (e.g., up to 99% in 25 min for tetracycline hydrochloride, TC), due to the generated reactive oxygen species (ROS), especially the dominant ·O2−. It can fully inactivate E. coli (HB101) with initial number of ~108 CFU·mL-1 in 10 min, which is mainly attributed to the synergistic effects of 1D nanostructure, dissolved metal ions and generated ROS. Meanwhile it is able to damage ARGs after 180 min of photodegradation, including tetA (vs. TC) of 3.3 log10, aphA (vs. kanamycin sulfate, KAN) of 3.4 log10, and tnpA (vs. ampicillin, AMP) of 4.4 log10, respectively. This work explores a green way for treating antibiotic pollution under visible-light

Sexual Risk Behavior, Sexism, and Prejudices Towards Sexual Openness, Homosexuality, and Trans Individuals Among Young People in Spain and the UK

Introduction: Sexism, lack of sexual freedom, and negative attitudes towards minorities are related to risky and discriminatory sexual behaviors. To date, no cross-cultural comparisons have been made regarding these sexual behaviors and attitudes. The study also explores the sexuality competencies of young adults undertaking vocational courses in higher education before their transition to professional practice. Methods: The sample comprised 1235 university students (670 Spanish and 565 British) aged between 18 and 52 years (M = 22.06, SD = 4.38). During the years 2020 and 2021, respondents completed a survey structured in six standardized scales (HPSC, DSS, SOS, HATH, EANT, and TIBS). Results: Results report that British students show less gender adherence (DSS) while the Spanish ones show more positive attitudes towards trans individuals (EANT) and pleasure (SOS). These findings indicate that students in this research engage in more sexual risk behaviors (HPSC), display similar rigid gender adherences (DSS), and more positive erotophilic (SOS), homophilic (HATH), and trans-friendly attitudes (EANT and TIBS) than those in previous studies. There were, however, significant differences by gender, religion, and program of study. Conclusions: The research demonstrates the relevance of measuring cultural factors related to sexual behaviors and attitudes in youth and reflects a lack of attention to these issues in educational and healthcare settings. This is despite its broad impact on people’s health, as young people are more likely to display increased risky sexual behaviors. Policy Implications: These findings emphasize the importance of the development of updated strategies in sex education among young people. The added importance of doing so with students in higher education who are likely to enter professions where they will educate or influence others on these matters is identified

A global study on applicability of ISO 18404:2015 for SMEs: an exploratory qualitative study

Purpose – ISO18404:2015 standard defines the proficiencies to the attainment of distinct competency levels with either Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma or separately combined strategy Lean Six Sigma (LSS). The purpose of this paper is to perform a detailed investigation of the applicability of current Lean Six Sigma (LSS) competency standard in SMEs and examine the need for further improvement. Design/Methodology/Approach – A qualitative-based semi-structured interview method was utilized globally by interviewing a group of LSS professionals with knowledge about the LSS implementation working in different leading organizations. All participants were asked to review the standard before the interview process to ensure that they are familiar with the standard. Findings – The results reveal that the current ISO 18404:2015 standard does not fit SMEs to implement the LSS approach as it has several shortfalls that need to be fixed before its adoption or an urgent need to develop a more customised LSS standard for SMEs. The outcome further helps organizations understand theoretical knowledge about ISO18404:2015, its role in operational excellence implementation, pros, cons, critical success factors and required changes for further improvement within the standard. Research limitations/implications –There were very limited baseline studies in the literature. A mixed method strategy that includes qualitative and quantitative data would yield better data so that more robust outcomes can be derived from the research. Originality/value – To the best of authors' knowledge, this is the first empirical research on the applicability of ISO 18404:2015 for SMEs, which encapsulate opinions of LSS professionals working in several SMEs

Beyond growth management: A review of the wider functions and effects of urban growth management policies

Urban growth management policies (UGMPs), which include green belts and urban growth boundaries seek to prevent urban sprawl in neighbouring peri-urban and rural landscapes. However, the wider social, environmental, and economic impacts these policies have on the landscapes they govern is unclear and contested. This paper undertakes a structured review of academic literature in Scopus investigating these wider UGMPs functions, impacts and effects beyond urban sprawl. A systematic key word search and a two-stage sieving process of the global literature identified 115 relevant academic publications across disciplines. This review found a diverse range of social and environmental functions of UGMPs zones, including as ecological corridors, sinks for climate regulation and recreational landscapes. Mixed methods and interdisciplinary studies are lacking, but multiple ecosystem services provided by UGMP zones were found in limited examples. However, cultural ecosystem services were rarely assessed alongside regulating and provisioning services and multiple ecosystem services have not been explicitly studied in US and English UGMP zones. Conversely, UGMPs are shown to have complex economic effects on land and housing markets, as well as creating contentious spaces. Currently, these findings are largely location based, making it hard to distinguish between site-specific and cross-cutting effects and functions, presenting a potential challenge for policy makers. To better understand the value of these zones to society and unlock their potential as multifunctional opportunity spaces in addressing climate, biodiversity and health challenges, more holistic and interdisciplinary research is needed into UGMP zones

Record-breaking Frequency of 44 GHz Based on Higher Order Mode of Surface Acoustic Waves with LiNbO3/SiO2/SiC Heterostructures

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) technology has been extensively explored for wireless communication, sensors, microfluidics, photonics, and quantum information processing. However, due to fabrication issues, the frequencies of SAW devices are typically limited to within a few gigahertz, which severely restricts their applications in 5G communication, precision sensing, photonics, and quantum control. To solve this critical problem, we propose a hybrid strategy that integrates a nanomanufacturing process (i.e., nanolithography) with a LiNbO3/SiO2/SiC heterostructure and successfully achieve a record-breaking frequency of about 44 GHz for SAW devices, in addition to large electromechanical coupling coefficients of up to 15.7%. We perform a theoretical analysis and identify the guided higher order wave modes generated on these slow-on-fast SAW platforms. To demonstrate the superior sensing performance of the proposed ultra-high-frequency SAW platforms, we perform micro-mass sensing and obtain an extremely high sensitivity of approximately 33151.9 MHz·mm2·μg−1, which is about 1011 times higher than that of a conventional quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and about 4000 times higher than that of a conventional SAW device with a frequency of 978 MHz