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Whilst there is a growing body of research which discusses the use of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) (otherwise known as “drones”) to transport medical supplies, almost all reported cases employ short range aircraft. The purpose of this paper is to consider the advantages and challenges inherent in the use of long endurance remotely piloted aircraft systems (LE-RPAS) aircraft to support the provision of medical supplies to remote locations – specifically “medical maggots” used in maggot debridement therapy (MDT) wound care.

After introducing both MDT and the LE-RPAS technology, the paper first reports on the outcomes of a case study involving 11 semi-structured interviews with individuals who either have experience and expertise in the use of LE-RPAS or in the provision of healthcare to remote communities in Western Australia. The insights gained from this case study are then synthesised to assess the feasibility of LE-RPAS assisted delivery of medical maggots to those living in such geographically challenging locations.

No insuperable challenges to the concept of using LE-RPAS to transport medical maggots were uncovered during this research – rather, those who contributed to the investigations from across the spectrum from operators to users, were highly supportive of the overall concept.

The paper offers an assessment of the feasibility of the use of LE-RPAS to transport medical maggots. In doing so, it highlights a number of infrastructure and organisational challenges that would need to be overcome to operationalise this concept. Whilst the particular context of the paper relates to the provision of medical support to a remote location of a developed country, the core benefits and challenges that are exposed relate equally to the use of LE-RPAS in a post-disaster response. To this end, the paper offers a high-level route map to support the implementation of the concept.

The paper proposes a novel approach to the efficient and effective provision of medical care to remote Australian communities which, in particular, reduces the need to travel significant distances to obtain treatment. In doing so, it emphasises the importance in gaining acceptance of both the use of MDT and also the operation of RPAS noting that these have previously been employed in a military, as distinct from humanitarian, context.

The paper demonstrates how the use of LE-RPAS to support remote communities offers the potential to deliver healthcare at reduced cost compared to conventional approaches. The paper also underlines the potential benefits of the use of MDT to address the growing wound burdens in remote communities. Finally, the paper expands on the existing discussion of the use of RPAS to include its capability to act as the delivery mechanism for medical maggots.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on financial accounting concepts (including the stock return, real earnings management, information asymmetry and financial performance) in Iranian companies listed in stock exchanges.

This is descriptive-correlational and applied research. The statistical population of this research is all companies listed on Tehran Stock Exchange, and the research period is from 2012 to 2018. Using the screening method a sample of 150 companies was selected. Multivariate regression and the software Eviews 10 were used for data analysis and hypothesis testing.

The results indicated that CSR has a significant effect on stock return; however, it does not have a significant effect on real earnings management. CSR has a significant effect on information asymmetry and financial performance.

The present study is the first research conducted on CSR and financial concepts in Iran. The results of this study contribute to the literature by introducing social responsibility to financial accounting variables and provide suggestions for capital market participants. Social responsibility has received growing attention from many companies and managers, as it influences the interests of indirect stakeholders in addition to direct ones. CSR reporting can enhance the development of scientific and cultural skills by promoting a culture of knowledge acquisition and knowledge creation, leading to a reduced gap between the expectations of economic enterprises and the community.

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) has attracted special scientific interest over the last years mainly because of its relation to climate change and indoor air quality. Except for this, CO₂ can be used as an indicator of food freshness, patients’ clinical state and fire detection. Therefore, the accurate monitoring and controlling of CO₂ levels are imperative. The development of highly sensitive, selective and reliable sensors that can efficiently distinguish CO₂ in various conditions of temperature, humidity and other gases’ interference is the subject of intensive research with chemi-resistive zinc oxide (ZnO)-based sensors holding a privileged position. Several ZnO nanostructures have been used in sensing applications because of their versatile features. However, the deficient selectivity and long-term stability remain major concerns, especially when operating at room temperature. This study aims to encompass an extensive study of CO₂ chemi-resistive sensors based on ZnO, introducing the most significant advances of recent years and the best strategies for enhancing ZnO sensing properties.

An overview of the different ZnO nanostructures used for CO₂ sensing and their synthesis methods is presented, focusing on the parameters that highly affect the sensing mechanism and, thus, the performance of CO₂ sensors.

The selectivity and sensitivity of ZnO sensors can be enhanced by adjusting various parameters during their synthesis and by doping or treating ZnO with suitable materials.

This paper summarises the advances in the rapidly evolving field of CO₂ sensing by ZnO sensors and provides research directions for optimised sensors in the future.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to challenge healthcare systems worldwide. The authors examined the lived experiences and perceptions of healthcare workers (HCWs) in managerial and senior positions to explore the pandemic's effects on well-being and valued organisational responses.

Using purposive sampling, the authors conducted 39 semi-structured interviews with senior staff including health service administrators, heads of department and senior clinicians at a designated COVID-19 facility in New South Wales, Australia. Interviews were conducted from November 2020 to February 2021 to reflect on experiences during the height of the pandemic in 2020 (mid-March to the end of May 2020).

Workplace experiences affecting HCWs' well-being included being shunned by others, fear of infecting family, fear of the unknown, concerns about personal protective equipment, lack of direction from above and increased workload. Organisational interventions to protect the health and safety of HCWs and their patients included redeployment, improved communication, effective management committees, education and mental health supports.

Organisations can minimise worker-identified factors threatening their well-being during a health crisis by applying broad-ranging initiatives including inclusive and open communication, promoting flexible work practices, providing up-to-date guidelines and policies and fostering camaraderie between workers.

The voices of senior clinical and managerial staff have been largely unheard during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors addressed this deficit by describing their experiences and insights regarding the pandemic's impact on well-being and the organisation's responses to simultaneously safeguarding its staff and providing quality patient care.