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The time-varying equivalent linear temperature gradient (ELTG) significantly affects the development of faulting and must therefore be accounted for in pavement design. The same is true for faulting of bonded concrete overlays of asphalt (BCOA) with slabs larger than 3 x 3 m. However, the evaluation of ELTG in Mechanistic-Empirical (ME) BCOA design is highly time-consuming. The use of an effective ELTG (EELTG) is an efficient alternative to calculating ELTG. In this study, a model to quickly evaluate EELTG was developed for faulting in BCOA for panels 3 m or longer in size, whose faulting is sensitive to ELTG.

A database of EELTG responses was generated for 144 BCOAs at 169 locations throughout the continental United States, which was used to develop a series of prediction models. Three methods were evaluated: multiple linear regression (MLR), artificial neural networks (ANNs), and multi-gene genetic programming (MGGP). The performance of each method was compared, considering both accuracy and model complexity.

It was shown that ANNs display the highest accuracy, with an R² of 0.90 on the validation dataset. MLR and MGGP models achieved R² of 0.73 and 0.71, respectively. However, these models consisted of far fewer free parameters as compared to the ANNs. The model comparison performed in this study highlights the need for researchers to consider the complexity of models so that their direct implementation is feasible.

This research produced a rapid EELTG prediction model for BCOAs that can be incorporated into the existing faulting model framework.

This exploratory case study investigated the factors impacting employee morale and burnout risk among allied health professionals operating within a large Australian public hospital. The study aimed to understand what factors may positively influence group morale and reduce burnout risk.

Qualitative data was collected using semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 30 Allied Health Managers. A manual thematic analysis and confirmatory content analysis (viz., Leximancer) identified several prominent themes impacting morale and potential burnout risk.

Key factors impacting allied health morale and contributing to burnout risk were captured in three main themes. The first included processes and relationships between people that were contributing to the culture negatively. The second identified the general lack of management training and limited capability of supervisors and leaders in human resource skills. The third theme identified change, high workloads and ineffective systems that were not supporting managers to be effective in their roles. This was also considered to be stifling internal innovation.

This case study took a top-down approach which may have provided a biased viewpoint from the managers perspective, rather than the perspective of all levels. The findings are within one context, hence there is a potential lack of generalisability. A final limitation is that this project collected and interpreted data through processes of social interaction and relied on the individual perception, skill and knowledge of the researchers, which may cause some uncertainty in the findings.

These findings support prioritising the evidence-based development of leadership and management competencies that have a focus on human resource management in hospitals. The study findings support the adoption of the theoretical framework of a systems approach to leadership that encourages the concept of being a learning organisation that creates pod-synergy within teams to enhance healthy personal, organisational and clinical outcomes. Adopting an empathetic leadership style that seeks to understand and support staff could improve staff morale within public health organisations and prevent burnout risk. Training managers with the skills and abilities to support autonomy amongst employees will support employee motivation and satisfaction in the workplace.

The findings were discussed using a socio technical system thinking perspective. This involves understanding the people (both leaders and front-line workers) and the systems and how they interact to support positive workplace morale.

Limited research has empirically explored from a socio-technical systems perspective how the systems and structures in healthcare organisations support allied health managers and employees in their role. Furthermore, the results provide new insights that encourage a more empathetic systems approach to leadership, one that supports social relationships and encourages pod-synergy amongst employees. Together these findings delivered strategies that can buffer against low morale and burnout risk among allied health care workers. This is an area that arguably has not yet been adequately addressed in allied health.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the nature of knowledge sharing and what is experienced as being shared as knowledge sharing unfolds. In particular, the paper explores affect as a key aspect of knowledge sharing in an organisational context.

A practice theoretical approach is applied to the study combined with a phenomenological research methodology that focusses on the “lived experience” of participants.

Knowledge-sharing practice was found to encompass cognitive, social, bodily and affective dimensions. Affect was found to be a significant component of the practice as revealed by participant emotion and the use of conversational humour.

In light of the findings, the researcher recommends a focus on participant sensings in practice theoretical research, in combination with sayings, doings and relatings.

The approach to the study is significant in that, in contrast to previous practice-based research in information studies, it applied a methodology adapted from phenomenology. This combination of approaches opened the investigation to the multi-dimensional experiential nature of knowledge-sharing practice highlighting the significant role of affect in knowledge sharing.

A narrative has developed in recent years to link ageing without children to support needs in later life. Social care has long been viewed as a private, familial responsibility, whilst health care is a societal, public good. Childlessness is framed negatively in terms of increased demands on care services and wider family networks. As governments tackle the issue of how to fund and deliver an equitable and sustainable long-term care sector, this paper aims to argue that it is more critical than ever to evaluate views of childlessness in the context of ageing.

Policy-oriented commentary paper.

If the focus on childlessness and ageing is through a lens of a potential care deficit, this continues to frame ageing without children as a risk and does little to challenge increasing reliance on unpaid care. Research and policy need to explore how to make access to social care more equitable and reduce expectations of unpaid care. They also need to increasingly emphasise exploration of aspects of later life beyond the issue of care, for example, by more of a focus on communities, what matters to people to age well and lives that extend beyond traditional views of nuclear families.

This paper uses the UK as a contextual example to argue that the research and policy communities have a role to play in evaluating their constructions of childlessness and ageing and questioning whether they do little more than legitimise government’s unwillingness to take responsibility for social care.

This paper aims at presenting an example of the good practice of crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED). The initiative has been carried out by a private tram company in Spain to tackle graffiti. Their main goal was to avoid graffiti defacing in their underground stations, and artists were involved in the design and execution. The intervention consisted of a combined strategy of CPTED measures (anti-graffiti coatings and paintings) with a comprehensive use of the space, turning stations from transit points into poetic spaces, generating emotions and a sense of belonging. The features also included an urban graffiti gallery.

This case study presents and describes the actions undertaken from the early stages of problem framing to execution and a soft assessment of the results obtained. All the information provided has been gathered through four semi-structured interviews with managers and designers of the experience.

The TramArt experience is an example of the shift in the mindset of transport operators regarding graffiti and graffiti artists. All interventions have been designed by the transport operator in cooperation with situational artists. As a result, the tram stations and vehicles are not conceived either as non-lieux or canvas, but spaces with a singular identity, with the possibility of generating a sense of belonging among passengers and users. The first intervention was tested in 2004 in one station and three years later was deployed in three more stops. According to the initiators, its impact has been mainly positive in terms of success rates, cost reduction and general satisfaction and security perception of passengers. However, the urban gallery has been more problematic to maintain.

This research focuses on the transport operator perspective basically and views expressed by transport users are indirectly assessed. While the change in the angle may be scalable, the specific features depend to a great extent on particular conditions, such as the size of the company, the resources available and the characteristics of the area covered.

The value of this case relies in the constructive approach towards graffiti, which goes one step further than the broken windows theory and the criminalisation of graffiti by default. It departs from prevention to enhancement of the prosocial aspects of graffiti, as well as providing a new conception of transit spaces.

Place is an important aspect of wine quality, contributing both distinct sensory characteristics and symbolic significance to the consumer’s experience, particularly in premium wine markets. The concepts of provenance and terroir, and the processes they describe, communicate meaning and significance along the value chain from wine production to consumption. This paper aims to clarify how these concepts are defined, how they contribute to premium wine value chains and how a greater understanding of these concepts by wine science researchers, and other actors, can enhance consumer value.

To address these aims, a conceptual framework is developed, which outlines the conditions needed to fulfil the wine/place experience through the value chain. This framework resulted from discussions within a team of researchers currently undertaking a large project into place distinctiveness in Pinot Noir wines in Australia. The refinement and exploration of the concept is grounded in a multidisciplinary literature review.

Through application of the framework, wine science researchers are advised to develop a knowledge co-production approach with other actors in the value chain. Doing so enables all actors to use evidence-based storytelling to enhance the role that place has in premium wine value and consumer experience.

Overall, this paper contributes to the conversation surrounding the value of terroir and provenance, particularly as they relate to premium wine in New World wine regions. The innovative framework is applicable for both business and wine science researchers, especially those with decision-making responsibility and associated with wine science research institutions, funding bodies, industry partnerships and consortia.

This paper aims to challenge the myth of risk-averseness among women entrepreneurs and analyses risk in the context of gender. It explores risk perceptions and examines the relationship between the concept of risk and women’s socially attributed roles.

This paper adopts a qualitative approach, where ten Irish women business owners were interviewed, that encouraged them to talk about their entrepreneurial experiences. The research design aimed to elicit data concerning how gender and the socio-economic context influenced risk.

Risk is shown as a gendered concept which needs to be widened to suit the experiences of women entrepreneurs and the influences of the gendered expectations of care dictated by the socio-economic environment.

Risk as a concept needs to be expanded to go beyond financial risk. The different types of risk encountered by women should be addressed by policy to promote a further growth of women-led enterprises and support those considering self-employment.

The paper develops an understanding of risk among women entrepreneurs in their socio-economic context. It challenges the viewpoint of seeing women entrepreneurs as risk-averse and thus leading to low-growth prospects for their business ventures.

The current pilot study explored food insecurity, food waste, food related behaviours and cooking confidence of UK consumers following the COVID-19 lockdown.

Data were collected from 473 UK-based consumers (63% female) in March 2020. A cross-sectional online survey measured variables including food insecurity prevalence, self-reported food waste, food management behaviours, confidence and frequency of use of a range of cooking methods, type of food eaten (ultra-processed, semi-finished, unprocessed) and packaging type foods are purchased in.

39% of participants have experienced some food insecurity in the last 12 months. Being younger, having a greater BMI and living in a smaller household were associated with food insecurity. Green leaves, carrots, potatoes and sliced bread are the most wasted of purchased foods. Polenta, green leaves and white rice are the most wasted cooked foods. Food secure participants reported wasting a smaller percentage of purchased and cooked foods compared to food insecure participants. Overall, participants were most confident about boiling, microwaving and stir-frying and least confident with using a pressure cooker or sous vide. Food secure participants were more confident with boiling, stir-frying, grilling and roasting than insecure food participants.

This has implications for post lockdown policy, including food policies and guidance for public-facing communications.

We identified novel differences in self-report food waste behaviours and cooking confidence between the food secure and insecure consumers and observed demographics associated with food insecurity.