Understanding Consumer Behaviour to Reduce Environmental Impacts through Sustainable Product Design

The use phase of the lifecycle of electrical products has a significant environmental impact, mainly determined by the consumer’s behaviour. Many consumers do not make the link between their daily consumption behaviour in the household and environmental problems such as climate change. In the 21st century, the residential sector, together with transport and industry, is one of the largest man-made contributors in the UK to climate change. It is argued that technological innovations, current eco-efficient products and consumer education have been ineffective in creating the long term radical behavioural change needed to reduce the impact of product use. Products, as the interface between consumers and consumption activities, have the potential to influence the way in which consumption occurs. In the sustainable design field however, designer responsibility traditionally considers raw material selection and product disposal. There is limited work that addresses the environmental impacts relating directly to use behaviour of the product. This paper illustrates that user behaviour studies can be the preliminary step for designers to improve energy efficiency of products. A single product type, household cold appliance, was chosen as a case to explore the capacity of designer-conducted user study to identify unsustainable aspects of product use. Adopting a user-centred approach, two pilot studies were used to gain an insight into domestic fridge and freezer use in the UK. Qualitative ethnographical research methods were employed to investigate the daily practices and “real” needs of user as well as the connection between the knowledge, attitudes, intention and actual action. The design suggestions drawn from the user behaviour analysis provide examples of how energy impact level of the interaction with the product can be reduced through design. Keywords: User-Centred Research; Sustainable Product Design; Changing Consumer Behaviour; Design Research; Household Energy Consumption; Household Cold Appliance.</p

The Cultural and Commercial Value of Tulsi (Ocimum tenuiflorum L.): Multidisciplinary Approaches Focusing on Species Authentication

Tulsi (Holy basil, Ocimum tenuiflorum L., Lamiaceae), native to Asia, has become globalised as the cultural, cosmetic, and medicinal uses of the herb have been popularised. DNA barcoding, a molecular technique used to identify species based on short regions of DNA, can discriminate between different species and identify contaminants and adulterants. This study aimed to explore the values associated with Tulsi in the United Kingdom (UK) and authenticate samples using DNA barcoding. A mixed methods approach was used, incorporating social research (i.e., structured interviews) and DNA barcoding of Ocimum samples using the ITS and trnH-psbA barcode regions. Interviews revealed the cultural significance of Tulsi: including origins, knowledge exchange, religious connotations, and medicinal uses. With migration, sharing of plants and seeds has been seen as Tulsi plants are widely grown in South Asian (SA) households across the UK. Vouchered Ocimum specimens (n = 33) were obtained to create reference DNA barcodes which were not available in databases. A potential species substitution of O. gratissimum instead of O. tenuiflorum amongst SA participants was uncovered. Commercial samples (n = 47) were difficult to authenticate, potentially due to DNA degradation during manufacturing processes. This study highlights the cultural significance of Tulsi, despite a potential species substitution, the plant holds a prestigious place amongst SA families in the UK. DNA barcoding was a reliable way to authenticate Ocimum species

Chondromyxoid fibroma management: a single institution experience of 22 cases

Background: Several different strategies have been reported for the treatment of chondromyxoid fibromas, all with variable outcomes and high recurrence rates. Methods: We report on 22 consecutive cases of chondromyxoid fibromas treated by intralesional curettage, four of which had adjuvant cementation at our institution between 2003 and 2010. We assessed the functional outcome using the Musculoskeletal Tumour Society (MSTS) scoring system. Results: Nine males and 16 females with a mean age of 36.5 years (range 11 to 73) and a mean follow-up of 60.7 months were included in the study. Local recurrence occurred in two patients (9%) within the first 2 years following the index procedure. This was treated by re-curettage only of the residual defect. Two postoperative complications occurred: a superficial wound infection in one patient and a transient deep peroneal nerve neurapraxia in the other. The mean postoperative MSTS score was 96.7%. Conclusions: Intralesional curettage and cementation is as an effective treatment strategy for chondromyxoid fibromas, providing satisfactory functional results with a low recurrence rate. Careful case selection with stringent clinical and radiographic follow-up is recommended

Challenges in applying human factors approaches to health service design

A participatory systems approach is a fundamental characteristic of the human factors and ergonomics discipline. However, the appropriate application of relevant methods is challenging in healthcare, since there is very limited time for staff to participate and their knowledge on design methods is usually very limited. An action research was carried out in a health service design project commissioned by a local health service commissioner. The aim of this paper is to examine and discuss challenges in applying the participatory systems approach

The Use of Traditional Herbal Medicines Amongst South Asian Diasporic Communities in the UK

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.Migrant South Asian communities in the UK have brought with them their own traditional forms of medicine, yet little is known about their current use of herbal medicines (HMs) in the UK. The aim of the study was to explore the origins, use and transmission of knowledge of traditional HMs used by diasporic South Asian communities in the UK. A researcher-administered questionnaire was used for data collection (n = 192). An opportunity sampling technique was used to recruit participants across several locations in Birmingham and Leicester. Two thirds of participants (n = 126) stated they used HMs to maintain their health and to treat various health conditions such as digestive problems, skin conditions and diabetes. Almost 2000 actively used HMs were documented including 123 plant species that were identified. Participants imported HMs from abroad as well as sourcing them locally and even growing some of their own plants. Up to 82% (n = 87) of participants who took prescription medicines did not tell their healthcare professionals about any HMs they consumed; this raises concerns about people’s knowledge of herb–drug interactions, compliance and effect on prescribed medicine regimens. Similar studies to explore the use of HMs by other ethnic groups are imperative to help optimise pharmaceutical care of patients

Using a product's sustainability space as a design exploration tool

Sustainable design is often practiced and assessed through the consideration of three essential areas: economic sustainability, environmental sustainability, and social sustainability. For even the simplest of products, the complexities of these three areas and their tradeoffs cause decision-making transparency to be lost in most practical situations. The existing field of multiobjective optimization offers a natural framework to define and explore a given design space. In this paper, a method for defining a product’s sustainability space (defined by economic, environmental, and social sustainability objectives) is outlined and used to explore the tradeoffs within the space, thus offering both the design team and the decision makers a means of better understanding the sustainability tradeoffs. This paper concludes that sustainable product development can indeed benefit from tradeoff characterization using multiobjective optimization techniques – even when using only basic models of sustainability. Interestingly, the unique characteristics of the three essential sustainable development areas lead to an alternative view of some traditional multiobjective optimization concepts, such as weak-Pareto optimality. The sustainable redesign of a machine to drill boreholes for water wells is presented as a practical example for method demonstration and discussion

Pharmacy services and role development in UK general practice: a cross‐sectional survey

Background: The ‘Clinical Pharmacists in General Practice’ (CPGP) pilot provided a template for general practice pharmacy professionals’ (GPPPs) roles encouraging NHS England to fund >2000 practice‐based pharmacists. However, many GPPPs work outside the CPGP initiative and little is known about the services they provide. Objectives: To explore services provided by all UK GPPPs (pharmacists/pharmacy technicians), including the types of services, perceived benefits and barriers to role development. Methods: A 26‐item electronic questionnaire was developed using SurveyMonkey and piloted during cognitive interviews. A cross‐sectional survey was conducted via social media, primary care organisations and emails to CPGP pilot sites between November 2018 and March 2019. Three reminders were sent 1 week apart. Key findings: Ninety‐one complete responses were received (81 pharmacists; 10 technicians). Over 80% of pharmacists provided clinical services, such as medication reviews or management of long‐term conditions. More pharmacists within CPGP pilot managed repeat prescribing requests (P = 0.035). Technicians took responsibility for primarily non‐clinical roles, including commissioning or safety alerts/drug recalls. A third of GPPPs wished to develop care home services. Perceived benefits of GPPPs’ services included improved utilisation/development of professional skills, identifying medicines‐related issues and reduction in medication waste. Respondents were satisfied with professional relationships but reported workload issues, limited patient awareness of their roles and restricted opportunities to contribute to service development, which was associated with unsatisfactory support/mentorship (P < 0.001). Conclusion: General practice pharmacy professionals deliver clinical and non‐clinical services which may benefit patients, general practice and the healthcare system. General practices and national organisations should provide GPPPs with tailored support and exploit the combined strengths of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to tackle increased workload

Critical materials supply and risk

Rare earth Elements (REEs) are a subset of Critical materials (CMs) and are found in numerous modern electronic products and advanced technologies where, due to their unique physical and chemical properties, they cannot be substituted. Disruption in their supply chain has the potential to cause devastating impacts on production and consumers. To help manage such disruptions, this research focusses on the areas of critical materials, supply chain resilience, and supply chain risk. Research has established the challenges that can occur from disruptions caused by up-stream suppliers, necessitating supply-side resilience strategies. Supply-side risk factors associated with CMSs differ from conventional material supply chain risk, and it is advocated that they cannot be effectively managed through traditional material supply risk management practices. This study investigates the research on CMs that appears around the periphery of the OM (operations management) field by adopting a systematic literature review. Findings show a dearth of research work directly focused on REEs and CMs from within the OM field. Importantly, a call is made for OM researchers to investigate REEs and CMs based on the imperative that geopolitics, resource scarcity and environmental issues present

A pH-responsive, endosomolytic liposome functionalized with membrane-anchoring, comb-like pseudopeptides for enhanced intracellular delivery and cancer treatment

Low intracellular delivery efficiency and multidrug resistance are among major barriers to effective cancer therapy. Herein, we report a novel, virus-mimicking, endosomolytic liposomal drug-delivery platform to address these two key challenges. The pH-responsive, comb-like pseudopeptides were prepared by grafting relatively long alkyl side chains onto a polyamide, poly(L-lysine isophthalamide), to mimic fusogenic peptides in viral spikes. The cholesterol-containing liposome, which mimics the viral envelope, was readily coated with these pseudopeptides due to their hydrophobic side chains acting as membrane anchors. These endosomolytic pseudopeptides displayed high adsorption onto the liposomal membrane and enabled the significantly higher cellular uptake. The virus-mimicking system showed a pH-triggered content-release profile which could be manipulated by varying the structure and concentration of the adsorbed polymers. The endosomolytic ability of the multifunctional liposome and its use for efficient intracellular delivery of the widely used anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) were demonstrated. The virus-mimicking liposomal system with DOX encapsulation exhibited considerably higher potency against HeLa cervical cancer cells, A549 lung cancer cells, MES-SA uterus cancer cells, and MES-SA/DX5 multidrug-resistant cancer cells than DOX-loaded bare liposomes and free DOX. These results suggest its potential applications for enhanced cytoplasmic delivery and cancer treatment