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The purpose of this study was to describe the association between sedentary time and social engagement among older adults living in megacities in India.

Data from a cross-sectional survey conducted in New Delhi and Chennai were used for analysis. In the total sample (n = 528), 65% of older adults self-reported engaging in high (≥180 min/day) volumes of sedentary time. There were no associations between sedentary time and social engagement in older females.

Among older males, those reporting high levels of communicating or visiting with family and friends had lower odds of reporting ≥ 180 min/day of sedentary time (OR: 0.51, CI: 0.27–0.98) compared to those reporting low levels of this type of social engagement. Older males reporting high levels of participating in a club (OR: 2.27, CI: 1.19–4.3) or participating in religious activities (OR: 1.97, 1.01–3.85) were approximately two times more likely to report ≥ 180 min/day sedentary time compared to those reporting low levels of these types of social engagement.

These data suggest that the type of social activity appears to significantly affect self-reported sedentary time among older males, but not females. These findings have implications for interventions aimed at improving active aging among older adults living in megacities in India.

Healthcare has undergone multiple phases in gaining understanding, accepting and implementing quality and safety, with the last 3 decades being crucial and decisive in making progress. During that time, safety has always been quoted along with quality, but the cost of error in healthcare (both in human lives and monetary cost) has been continuing to rise.

This article discusses the authors’ expert perspective in comparison to the industry’s research and practice outputs.

Healthcare has not yet defined quality and safety. This is allowing the misconception that already established quality management systems (QMSs) are fit for safety purposes as well. Even though aviation has acted as a paradigm for healthcare, further alignment in embedding safety management systems (SMS) has yet to be realised.

In this paper, the distinct nature of safety and its detachment of quality is being discussed, along with the need for clear and safety specific processes. Setting common language is the first step in establishing appropriate safety processes within SMSs, operating in tandem with QMSs, to promote patient safety successfully.

This study aims to introduce a predictive homogenization model incorporating electrical percolation considerations to forecast the electrical characteristics of unidirectional carbon-epoxy laminate composites.

This study presents a method for calculating the electrical conductivity tensor for various ply arrangement patterns to elucidate phenomena occurring around the interfaces between plies. These interface models are then integrated into a three-dimensional (3D) magneto-thermal model using the finite element method. A comparative study is conducted between different approaches, emphasizing the advantages of the new model through experimental measurements.

This research facilitates the innovative integration of electrical percolation considerations, resulting in substantial improvement in the prediction of electrical properties of composites. The validity of this improvement is established through comprehensive validation against existing approaches and experimentation.

The study primarily focuses on unidirectional carbon-epoxy laminate composites. Further research is needed to extend the model's applicability to other composite materials and configurations.

The proposed model offers a significant improvement in predicting the electrical properties of composite materials by incorporating electrical percolation considerations at inter-ply interfaces, which have not been addressed in previous studies. This research provides valuable information to improve the accuracy of predictions of the electrical properties of composites and offers a methodology for accounting for these properties in 3D magneto-thermal simulations.

The purpose of this service user narrative and viewpoint article is to describe interprofessional and interpersonal barriers to peer support on a men’s mental health ward over the course of a year from a lived experience perspective.

A reflective journal was kept and participant observation was conducted over the course of the year.

There is sometimes a fissure and binary of “Us” and “Them” on the ward. In other words, staff can sometimes perceive peer support workers to be “one of us” (a member of staff) or “one of them” (a service user). For service users, the opposite is sometimes true: “one of us” (a service user) or “one of them” (a member of staff). Peer support workers must bridge this gap and strive to be “one of us” with both these groups, which is no easy task. A good ward manager or peer team leader can smooth over interprofessional differences and support the peer worker in their efforts of care towards the recovery of people with mental health problems.

Little has been written on this topic in a mental health inpatient setting as most papers address community peer support work, which is very different from peer support in hospital. This paper addresses one of the first peer support pilot projects in hospital of its kind in NHS England so is quite innovative and perhaps even unique.

This study aims to provide an overview of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, identify areas where libraries can play crucial role in effective implementation of NEP 2020 and explains the role of libraries in higher education for implementation of NEP 2020 in India.

For the purpose of the present research, the researcher has evaluated The “National Education Policy 2020” document consisting of 65 pages. The contents of NEP 2020 are evaluated to find out major areas of working for libraries and in the context of major areas, the crucial role which a library can play in implementation of NEP 2020 is described. Hence, the research methodology followed is “descriptive research method”.

NEP is bringing out tremendous positive changes in higher education in India. The changes can be effectively implemented with the help of libraries and library professionals to adapt to course, curriculum, research and infrastructure-related changes. The challenges of the 21st century in the field of higher education are related to personality development, strengthening of Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs), internationalisation of higher education, specific skills and values for students, motivation for researchers and teachers as well as for equity and inclusiveness of higher education can be effectively imparted by libraries and it can contribute as a catalyst for overall national development.

The study covers NEP of India 2020 and the role of libraries in HEIs of India are described.

NEP 2020 and its implementation are mandatory in HEIs in India. All universities and colleges in India had started implementing India’s NEP 2020, and hence, accessing the role of libraries in higher education for the successful implementation of NEP 2020 is essential. Elaborating on the “Role of Libraries under National Education Policy 2020” of India, libraries play a very important role in implementing the NEP 2020 of India. The sub-chapters from 9 to 19 under Chapter III on higher education are thoroughly studied by the researcher and on the basis of the contents related to NEP in the higher education system of India, the library parameters that can identify the role of libraries in NEP 2020 are explained.

Libraries contribute to “personal development” as well as “to inculcate certain prescribed skills and values”. “Interdisciplinary research” is intended to develop an active community of research in various disciplines as well as to increase the efficiency of both physical resources and human resources. Promoting interdisciplinary research is done through libraries. Many libraries have developed “inclusive education centres” to provide library facilities to visually impaired and disabled students.

Overall personality development, strengthening of educational institutions, optimistic move towards multidisciplinary education through identification of business skills and specific skills and values, internationalisation of education, a motivation factor for students, teachers and researchers as well as equity and inclusiveness in higher education are all the areas occupied by libraries. It is described elaborately and it is of social and educational value for all.

The purpose of this viewpoint is to present the insights of how AI is transforming the learning environment and strengthening the potential of learning and development in large tech organizations.

This paper leverages the expert opinions of 4 L&D professionals, whose specialized knowledge and direct involvement in the deployment of AI technologies provide a rich, informed perspective on the evolution of learning environments.

Four key trends in AI-integration in learning environments can be seen - AI-powered personalization in learning environment; enhancing interactivity with AI; fostering collaboration and social learning; and assessment and feedback in AI-powered environments.

The discussion around key trends offers a strategic framework for other tech organizations to consider when deploying AI in their learning environments. This can serve as a guideline for enhancing learner engagement, personalization, and overall effectiveness of learning programs.

The purpose of this policy piece is to present headline evidence from the equivalent of a decade of research across three projects focused on improving the educational experiences of incarcerated or justice-involved children and young people across 14 countries. The projects demonstrated a positive impact when using the specially designed innovative methods even with disengaged justice-involved children and young people. Each project had a different focus based on the needs of the children and young people, including (re)engaging them with education and learning opportunities re-engaging young offenders with education and learning (RENYO), developing identified social and emotional competencies through sport active games 4 change (AG4C) and developing skills for when transitioning into communities (S4L).

Each of the three projects designed bespoke interventions and materials based on the focus of the project. Combined, these were piloted across a total of 14 countries with 548 children and young people, 225 educators and 21 youth justice settings (custodial and non-custodial). Qualitative and quantitative data were gathered from educators, children and young people to better understand the effectiveness and limitations of the pedagogical approaches, the materials and experiences of the users.

The findings from across the three projects demonstrated that when custodial settings or youth justice settings have greater access to specifically designed tools and resources, with appropriate training to use them, it is possible to re-engage even the most disengaged children and young people with education and learning (RENYO). It was also possible to show a statistically significant increase in social and emotional competencies (social awareness, responsible decision-making, self-awareness, self-management, relationship skills) in participating country settings (AG4C) and to engage children and young people with a Skills4Life Curriculum in preparation for moving back into the community.

Custodial and other youth justice settings vary widely in different jurisdictions with varying levels of resource. Whilst all programmes had success in implementation, this was to different degrees and extents in each of the country contexts. Much of this success will depend on the skills of educators and the willingness of the leadership.

The programmes and interventions in this policy piece can be used in a range of contexts and settings as shown by the wide range of sites they were piloted in. From a practical perspective, these programmes and interventions have been designed to fit into existing structures and timetables with custodial and youth justice settings, making them easily integrated into business as usual.

Planned and strategically delivered interventions by expert educators in a holistic way means there is real opportunity to better support justice involved children and young people to successful transitioning back into communities, thereby potentially reducing reoffending. This is done by (re)engaging them with education and learning on entry, using the authentic inquiry methodology, developing social and emotional competencies through the active games and sport programme, followed by a tailored Skils4Life Curriculum preparing them for transition back into communities.

The entrepreneurial process often cannot be explained by a single entrepreneurial theory. Instead, it is more likely the result of the interaction between various entrepreneurial behavior patterns and different environmental conditions. However, existing research has frequently overlooked the complexity inherent in the entrepreneurial phenomenon. Building on a configurational perspective, this study aims to examine how new ventures can use different behavioral configurations to achieve high performance amid various uncertain environments.

Based on the survey data from 143 new start-ups in China’s software industry, this study uses fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA).

This study jointly considers multiple entrepreneurial behaviors − causation, effectuation and entrepreneurial bricolage and different types of environmental uncertainty − state uncertainty, effect uncertainty and response uncertainty. The findings reveal three behavioral configurations for high/nonhigh new venture performance.

This study expands previous insights into the relationship between entrepreneurial behaviors and new venture performance from the perspective of configurational theory. Moreover, it offers new insights into the types of uncertainty, further refining our understanding of the uncertainties inherent in entrepreneurial activities.

This paper aims to explore the potential relationship between internal corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the decline of organised labour in countries of the global North. Given the opposing trends since the late 20th century and the widespread adherence of internationally recognised labour standards in CSR codes, standards, and reporting frameworks, questions arise about the disparity between CSR rhetoric and practice regarding the collective rights of in-house employees. The paper further explores the tendency in CSR scholarship to overlook violations of collective rights for in-house employees in the global North.

To examine whether there is an elective affinity between the rise of CSR and the decline of organised labour, the paper uses a discursive institutionalism approach, providing a meta-theoretical analysis of academic literature on internal CSR. A scoping review methodology was used to identify relevant literature and compile it into an empirical corpus for a metatheoretical analysis. The empirical corpus, consisting of 38 articles, was generated through a Google Scholar (GS) search guided by the following questions: (1) What are the dominant conceptual framings of internal CSR? (2) What are the dominant roles and practical aspects of internal CSR?

The paper identifies two key disparities in the literature: (1) between rhetoric and practice regarding the collective rights of in-house employees in the global North and (2) between the extensive CSR research on violations of collective rights of value chain workers and the limited attention to in-house employees’ collective rights. The analysis highlights two factors contributing to these disparities: the integration of internal CSR into the corporate managerial toolbox and the distinction in CSR discourse between core labour standards and workplace issues. The analysis shows that internal CSR has an elective affinity with the decline of organised labour.

While scoping reviews are often standalone studies, this paper used the methodology for its stated purpose. Limitations include the broad span of internal CSR across various academic fields and reliance solely on GS. Measures taken to enhance inclusivity were unlimited review period, refined inclusion criteria and keywords during the selection process and cross-checks of cited articles.

Considering the implications of the decline of organised labour on workers’ collective voice, poverty and the distribution gap in wealth and income, this paper suggests that for CSR to play a significant role in advancing sustainable social justice, scholars and practitioners should look at ways to reduce the disparity between rhetoric and practice regarding employees’ voice and collective rights.

The paper lays the foundation for a better understanding of the potential links between internal CSR and the decline of organised labour. It addresses a gap in the literature on the interrelations between CSR and organised labour in the global North and proposes root causes of this gap. This contribution enriches the scarce literature exploring the potential elective affinity between CSR and transformations in the global economy and labour markets since the late 1980s. Finally, the paper deepens the understanding of the implications of CSR for employees’ collective rights and voice as well as for organised labour.

This study aims to use regression Least-Square Support Vector Machine (LS-SVM) as a probabilistic model to determine the factor of safety (FS) and probability of failure (PF) of anisotropic soil slopes.

This research uses machine learning (ML) techniques to predict soil slope failure. Due to the lack of analytical solutions for measuring FS and PF, it is more convenient to use surrogate models like probabilistic modeling, which is suitable for performing repetitive calculations to compute the effect of uncertainty on the anisotropic soil slope stability. The study first uses the Limit Equilibrium Method (LEM) based on a probabilistic evaluation over the Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) technique for two anisotropic soil slope profiles to assess FS and PF. Then, using one of the supervised methods of ML named LS-SVM, the outcomes (FS and PF) were compared to evaluate the efficiency of the LS-SVM method in predicting the stability of such complex soil slope profiles.

This method increases the computational performance of low-probability analysis significantly. The compared results by FS-PF plots show that the proposed method is valuable for analyzing complex slopes under different probabilistic distributions. Accordingly, to obtain a precise estimate of slope stability, all layers must be included in the probabilistic modeling in the LS-SVM method.

Combining LS-SVM and LEM offers a unique and innovative approach to address the anisotropic behavior of soil slope stability analysis. The initiative part of this paper is to evaluate the stability of an anisotropic soil slope based on one ML method, the Least-Square Support Vector Machine (LS-SVM). The soil slope is defined as complex because there are uncertainties in the slope profile characteristics transformed to LS-SVM. Consequently, several input parameters are effective in finding FS and PF as output parameters.