Developing Interventions for Scaling Up UK Upcycling

open access articleUpcycling presents one of many opportunities for reducing consumption of materials and energy. Despite recent growth evidenced by increasing numbers of practitioners and businesses based on upcycling, it remains a niche activity and requires scaling up to realise its potential benefits. This paper investigates UK household upcycling in order to develop interventions for scaling up upcycling in the UK. Mixed methods were used in four stages: (a) Interviews to gain insights into UK upcycling; (b) a survey to discover key factors influencing UK upcycling; (c) intervention development based on the synthesis of interviews and survey; and (d) use of a semi-Delphi technique to evaluate and develop initial interventions. The results showed approaches to upcycling (e.g., wood, metal and fabric as frequently used materials, online platforms as frequently used source of materials), context for upcycling (e.g., predominant use of home for upcycling), factors influencing UK upcycling with key determinants (i.e., intention, attitude and subjective norm), important demographic characteristics considering a target audience for interventions (i.e., 30+ females) and prioritised interventions for scaling up (e.g., TV and inspirational media and community workshops as short-term high priority interventions). The paper further discusses implications of the study in terms of development of theory and practice of upcycling

Neurosyphilis presenting with papillitis

Syphilis is one of the oldest described infectious diseases in the world and is caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum[1]. Although now a rare disease, incidence is increasing with the number of diagnoses of the disease rising in England from 1688 to 2713 between 2003 and 2012 (a 61% increase)[2]. Major outbreaks of syphilis have been documented in London, Manchester, Dublin, and Brighton particularly among men who have sex with men (MSM)[3]. Diagnosis remains difficult on account of multi-system symptoms, duration of the condition, and social stigma

Problematisation and regulation: bodies, risk, and recovery within the context of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

Background Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) is an anticipated effect of maternal drug use during pregnancy. Yet it remains a contested area of policy and practice. In this paper, we contribute to ongoing debates about the way NAS is understood and responded to, through different treatment regimes, or logics of care. Our analysis examines the role of risk and recovery discourses, and the way in which the bodies of women and babies are conceptualised within these. Methods Qualitative interviews with 16 parents (9 mothers, 7 fathers) and four focus groups with 27 health and social care professionals based in Scotland. All the mothers were prescribed opioid replacement therapy and parents were interviewed after their baby was born. Data collection explored understandings about the causes and consequences of NAS and experiences of preparing for, and caring for, a baby with NAS. Data were analysed using a narrative and discursive approach. Results Parent and professional accounts simultaneously upheld and subverted logics of care which govern maternal drug use and the assessment and care of mother and baby. Despite acknowledging the unpredictability of NAS symptoms and the inability of the women who are opioid-dependent to prevent NAS, logics of care centred on ‘proving’ risk and recovery. Strategies appealed to the need for caution, intervening and control, and obscured alternative logics of care that focus on improving support for mother-infant dyads and the family as a whole. Conclusion Differing notions of risk and recovery that govern maternal drug use, child welfare and family life both compel and trouble all logics of care. The contentious nature of NAS reflects wider socio-political and moral agendas that ultimately have little to do with meeting the needs of mothers and babies. Fundamental changes in the principles, quality and delivery of care could improve outcomes for families affected by NAS

The Politics of Protest Collections: Developing Social Action Archives

In this article, the term politics is used in a broad sense to suggest that there are definite, though not always explicit, assumptions and values affecting the nature and extent of the documentary record preserved on social movements in this era. Though of main concern in this discussion is how values affect the collecting of materials on radical social change, the value systems under which archivists operate affect any kind of collecting endeavor

Alien Registration- Cooper, Sarah (Portland, Cumberland County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/22984/thumbnail.jp

Alien Registration- Cooper, Sarah (Portland, Cumberland County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/22984/thumbnail.jp