Metaverse Innovation: Technological, Financial, and Legal Perspectives

The Metaverse can be defined as an immersive 3-D simulated digital environment that deploys technologies like augmented reality, virtual reality, blockchain, and artificial intelligence to imitate the real world and allow people to conduct daily activities through digital versions of themselves (avatars). The opportunities brought by the metaverse for the economy and the society are wide in scope from business models to equitable education possibilities. This prompts regulators and policymakers around the world to assess the crucial legal and regulatory issues that arise in the process of metaverse development. This book offers a comprehensive understanding of metaverse innovation from technological, financial, and legal perspectives. It offers the basics of the metaverse, such as its enabling technologies, main characteristics and the global trends that shape its development. It also reviews the positive and negative impact of the metaverse on different sectors of the economy as well as the implications for policy and law

Review of natural vs recycled fibres in concrete: strength, durability & eco impacts

This review paper explores the use of natural and recycled fibres in concrete, focusing on their impact on mechanical properties and sustainability. Natural fibres, such as those from plants and animals, and recycled fibres, including synthetic and metallic varieties, are evaluated for their ability to enhance concrete’s compressive, tensile, and flexural strengths. The paper also examines durability factors like freeze-thaw resistance, chemical stability, and fire resistance. A comparative analysis highlights the benefits and limitations of both fibre types, emphasising their roles in reducing environmental impact and promoting sustainable construction practices. In addition, the review addresses the challenges of fibre-reinforced concrete, such as technical barriers and the need for standardised testing methods. Overall, the paper underscores the potential of natural and recycled fibres to improve concrete performance while contributing to more sustainable building materials

Illicit Financial Flows and Polio Vaccination Coverage in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Longitudinal Panel Analysis

Illicit financial flows (IFFs) are a major drain on Africa's economic potential, with losses hitting around $88.6 billion each year. These unrecorded and illegal capital outflows seriously undermine public sector investments, especially in healthcare. Recent evidence suggests that IFFs might also be a roadblock for immunization programs, like polio vaccination, in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study uses a longitudinal panel dataset that includes 200 observations from 10 Sub-Saharan African countries spanning from 2000 to 2020. By applying a Fixed Effects Regression model, the research delves into the causal link between polio vaccination coverage and IFFs. The dataset's stationarity was confirmed through the Levin-Lin-Chu (LLC) unit root test and the Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test for added reliability. Key independent variables in the study include polio vaccination coverage, government health expenditure, the percentage of the urban population, and physician density. The model selection was informed by the Hausman specification test, which preferred Fixed Effects over Random Effects, ensuring the estimators accurately captured country-level differences. The regression analysis shows that a 1$8.55 million drop in IFFs. Although this relationship isn't statistically significant (p-value = 0.742), it suggests a negative correlation between enhanced public health initiatives and the scale of IFFs. Furthermore, the findings indicate that a higher density of physicians and urban population coverage positively impacts public sector accountability. These results resonate with existing literature that points out how a functional health infrastructure can both deter and serve as a diagnostic marker for illicit capital outflows. This study adds to the limited empirical research connecting IFFs with sectoral development outcomes, particularly in public health. The findings highlight an urgent call for integrated policy responses that tackle illicit financial flows (IFFs) by investing in the health sector and ensuring fiscal transparency. It's crucial for governments to implement strong anti-money laundering measures, enhance tax collection processes, and encourage regional collaboration to combat these illegal outflows. By improving public health outcomes-like increasing polio immunization rates-we can not only boost human capital but also minimize financial leakages, ultimately paving the way for sustainable development in Sub-Saharan Africa. JEL Classifications: E6, N17, N27, C23, C3

Ornithodoros moubata (African hut tampan; the eyeless tampan)

This article has no abstract

Evaluation of the Perinatal Mental Health and Parent-Infant Relationships Workstream within the Tower Hamlets Family Hubs Programme

This report has no abstract

Policing with Compassion Guide - Building More Effective Interactions: A Neurodiversity-Informed Resource for Police and Multi-Agency Professionals

Policing with Compassion is an innovative pilot programme that brings together the Police Foundation, the University of East London (UEL), Newham Police, and Newham Council to inform and shape the way police officers and safeguarding professionals connect and support children and young people, particularly those who are neurodivergent. This resource is designed to promote cultural and systemic inclusivity through research, community engagement, and local safeguarding practices.This resource will support frontline workers with practical strategies to minimise harm while building trust with children and young people1 who are neurodivergent. Use it alongside the Policing with Compassion videos to help embed compassionate, relationship-focused practice into your daily work with children and young people

Effectiveness of Blog Writing Intervention for Promoting Subjective Well-Being, Resilience, and Post-Traumatic Growth of Palliative Care Nurses

Background/Objectives: Palliative care nurses are at risk of burnout, trauma, and poor well-being. Expressive writing interventions are shown to promote self-reflection, personal growth, and resilience. A pilot study was designed to test the feasibility and use of a self-reflexive blog writing intervention to promote the subjective well-being, resilience, and personal growth of palliative care nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A sample of N = 144 registered nurses working in palliative care settings were enrolled in the study. Recruitment was performed using university alumni, nursing, and palliative care organization member listservs. Self-reported surveys such as the Subjective Well-Being Inventory (SUBI), Brief Resiliency Scale (BRS), and Post-traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) scales were used to evaluate study outcomes. Pre- and post-surveys were obtained at baseline, 4 weeks, and 6 weeks. Upon baseline survey completion, participants were randomly assigned to control and intervention groups. Participants in the intervention group were asked to write two weekly blog entries for a period of four weeks using a blog template on Qualtrics software. Descriptive statistical measures were used to evaluate the study outcomes and content analysis to analyze descriptive survey responses and blog narratives. Results: A total of N = 57 participants completed this study. Most participants were females (93%), White (89.5%), married (93%), and full-time employees (96.5%) and underwent PC training (93%). The findings indicate significant improvement in the subjective well-being (MD = 2.43, p < 0.05) and resilience scores (MD = 0.244, p < 0.05) in the intervention group. No significant changes were found in post-traumatic growth scores post-intervention. Most participants found blog writing as a supportive tool to reflect on their personal experiences and to ventilate their emotions and feelings. Conclusions: Self-reflexive blog writing is convenient and a potentially effective method for promoting the resilience and well-being of nurses. Future studies are needed to evaluate its effectiveness in a larger sample across different practice settings

Blue-green infrastructure and socio-spatial changes: A study of urban wetlands restoration, housing development and gentrification in London using census data

While blue-green infrastructure (BGI), such as urban wetlands, can offer multiple benefits, including public health improvements, social cohesion, and positive environmental impacts, they can inadvertently lead to green-blue gentrification; a phenomenon that remains under examined, for example in cities like London, UK. In London, neighbourhood surrounding the Woodberry and Walthamstow wetlands have experienced social-spatial changes over the past two decades that are worthy of study. Analysis of UK census data from 2001, 2011 and 2021 and GIS analysis tracked changes in population composition nearby (0–300 m) and in the wider area (301–1000 m) surrounding the wetlands indicates that within 300 m of these wetlands, there has been a rise in non-deprived, university-educated residents and a decrease in socially rented housing, compared to 1000 m away. This suggests that nearby private (re)development in tandem with BGI projects may be contributing to green gentrification. As governments continue to promote BGI to address environmental and societal challenges, it is important for urban planners and policymakers to implement strategies to prevent displacement. This includes ensuring that the benefits of BGI are equitably distributed and that vulnerable populations are protected from involuntary relocation

The Benefits of Defensive Wetlanding

The practice of strategically creating wetlands to enhance defensive terrain can have significant environmental benefits in addition to increasing defensive military advantages. Here we discuss how

Advancing sustainable pavements: a review of low-carbon construction materials and practices

This review comprehensively explores low-carbon construction materials for pavements, emphasizing their role in advancing sustainable infrastructure. It examines various material types—including recycled, industrial by-products, and bio-based alternatives—highlighting their properties, availability, and suitability for pavement applications. Performance metrics such as mechanical strength, durability, environmental impact, and life cycle assessments are discussed in detail. Real-world case studies demonstrate successful implementations, underscoring practical benefits. The review also identifies key challenges—including technological, economic, and regulatory barriers—and proposes directions for future research. Overall, the findings affirm that integrating low-carbon materials in pavement construction offers significant potential for reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainable development