Now showing items 1-20 of 8178

    • From behaviours to interactions: reframing conceptualisations of the nature and causes of sexual harm among young people

      Setty, Emily; Hunt, Jonny; Ringrose, Jessica (Taylor and Francis, 2025-07-01)
      This paper examines how educators, police and children’s service providers, alongside young people, conceptualise the nature and causes of sexual harm among young people. Drawing on qualitative research conducted in southeast England, we identify four themes: sexual harm as learned behaviour rooted in personal and familial risk factors; normalisation of harmful experiences among girls; neglect and minimisation of boys’ victimisation; and evolving digital terrains of harm. While some participants engaged with structural and cultural explanations, many framed sexual harm through an individualised, risk-focused behaviourist lens. We suggest the emphasis on behaviour within the prevailing use of the term “harmful sexual behaviour” reinforces reductionist perspectives and overlooks interactional, institutional, and socio-cultural dynamics shaping young people’s experiences. Drawing on sexual script theory and post-digital sexual citizenship, we expand the conceptual terrain, advocating for a holistic and inclusive approach situating sexual harm within broader relational and institutional contexts, requiring nuanced, context-sensitive responses.
    • Women entrepreneurs as cultural custodians in tourism: a social feminism theory perspective

      Altinay, Levent; Toros, Emete; Vatankhah, Sanaz; Seifi, Siamak; (Elsevier, 2025-07-07)
      This study, grounded in social feminism theory, examines how women entrepreneurs in Cyprus use tourism enterprises to preserve and transmit cultural knowledge. Drawing on 26 semi-structured interviews, the research examines how participants balance economic goals with cultural responsibilities. The analysis identifies five interrelated themes, cultural identity, integration, advocacy, collaboration, and resilience, that inform a conceptual framework explaining how entrepreneurial agency is shaped by gendered social roles and expectations. By positioning women entrepreneurs as agents of transformative change, this study extends social feminism theory to include the preservation and transmission of cultural knowledge as a critical dimension of entrepreneurial agency. By linking entrepreneurship to cultural stewardship, the study offers insights into how women deal with structural constraints while engaging in locally meaningful forms of sustainability. These findings offer implications for policymakers and development practitioners who seek to support gender-responsive, culturally rooted entrepreneurship in marginalised tourism contexts.
    • A model-based cost-effectiveness analysis of prescribing by dietitians and therapeutic radiographers in England

      Babashahi, Saeideh; Carey, Nicola; Stenner, Karen; Hart, Kath; Jani, Yogini; Edwards, Judith; Hounsome, Natalia (Springer, 2025-07-03)
      Non-medical prescribing (NMP) was introduced into the UK healthcare system and other countries to improve patient care and facilitate better access to medicine. However, very few studies have evaluated the cost-effectiveness of the prescribing authorities granted to certain healthcare professional groups. This study aims to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of prescribing by dietitians and therapeutic radiographers in England. A model-based cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted to evaluate the services provided by dietitian and therapeutic radiographer prescribers compared to services delivered by dietitian and therapeutic radiographer non-prescribers in terms of direct and indirect costs and effectiveness outcomes, e.g. quality-adjusted life year (QALY) and patient satisfaction, from the National Health Service (NHS) perspective. Unit costs were obtained from the NHS National Reference Costs 2021-22. Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the robustness of the model parameters. The mean costs associated with NMP were higher for prescribers than non-prescribers due to training costs and consultation time to manage prescriptions. However, these costs were compensated by higher referrals by non-prescribers to other specialists for prescribing. NMP in either profession was perceived as positive by patients. Differences in QALY were not statistically significant among patients managed by prescribers and non-prescribers for either profession. Results were sensitive to the model assumptions and parameters. Our estimates suggest NMP might save £64,269 over five years per dietitian prescriber and £16,570 per therapeutic radiographer prescriber. Despite uncertainties around the cost-effectiveness of NMP, it may save money with minimal or no changes in quality-of-life outcomes for patients being managed by either profession.
    • Implementing evidence-based practice in critical care nursing: an ethnographic case study of knowledge use

      Ominyi, Jude; Eze, Ukpai; Agom, David; Alabi, Adewale; Nwedu, Aaron; (Wiley, 2025-07-04)
      To explore how critical care nurses access, negotiate and apply knowledge in high-pressure clinical environments, focusing on organisational, cultural and leadership factors influencing evidence-based practice implementation in acute hospital settings. A focused ethnographic collective case study was conducted across two contrasting critical care units in England. Methods included non-participant observation (56 sessions), semi-structured interviews (36 participants) and document review. Spradley's Developmental Research Sequence guided data generation and analysis. Data were collected over an eight-month period (February to September 2022). Five major themes were identified: sources of knowledge and acquisition strategies; institutional and hierarchical influences on knowledge use; role of experiential knowledge and clinical intuition; challenges to evidence-based practice implementation; and strategies for integrating knowledge into practice. Organisational structures, leadership engagement, mentorship and access to updated digital resources were key enablers of evidence-based practice. Barriers included workload pressures, inconsistent guideline dissemination and hierarchical cultures. Adaptive blending of formal evidence, clinical experience and intuition characterised effective knowledge negotiation at the bedside. Knowledge use in critical care nursing is a dynamic, relational process shaped by leadership, organisational culture and systemic pressures. The availability of evidence alone is insufficient; visible leadership, peer learning, protected educational time and valuing of experiential knowledge are critical to embedding evidence-based practice into routine practice. Strengthening organisational systems, investing in nurse manager development, expanding simulation-based learning and legitimising experiential knowledge are vital strategies to enhance evidence-based critical care. This study provides actionable insights for healthcare leaders, educators and policymakers seeking to optimise evidence-based practice adoption in high-acuity clinical environments and improve patient outcomes. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist guided reporting. Patients and the public were not involved in the design, conduct, reporting or dissemination of this research.
    • Investigating potential information obtained from blowfly artefacts deposited by Lucilia sericata flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

      Miah, Paige (University of Bedfordshire, 2024-11-18)
      Blowflies are amongst the first organisms to arrive at a corpse, their olfactory system attracts these flies to decomposing organic material, where they can feed and deposit their young. It has been accepted that blowflies will regurgitate and defecate as a response to normal feeding behaviours, the resulting stains have been termed fly artefacts. Artefacts have become of interest with the development of techniques to extract DNA from these stains, which have the potential to determine what the blowflies have been feeding on. This information could be of use to forensic casework in cases where the human remains have been removed and only the fly artefacts are available for analysis. The aim of this study was to determine whether artefacts could be differentiated into colour groups for sampling, then to establish whether there is a difference in DNA (food source) quantity between the different groups. Flies were observed depositing artefacts both by eye and through filming, showing that defecated material can be observed in a range of colours (creamy white to deep brown). An artefact sampling colour key was produced to enable a more objective separation of the artefacts into the five colour groups (colourless, very light, light, dark, and very dark) for further analysis. Findings of this study display a correlation between fly artefact colour and the time passed since blowflies ingested food; the longer blowflies were left without porcine liver the lighter the colour of their artefacts became, eventually becoming colourless after a period of 15 days. Adult flies could therefore be collected from a crime scene to enable observation of their artefact, indicating an approximate time since the fly had last ingested food. To determine if there was any advantage in separating the samples for DNA analysis, two real-time PCR DNA assays were developed, one to detect and quantify the food source and blowfly DNA, and the other to detect inhibitors within samples. Very light and light (grouped) artefacts contained the highest mean quantities of DNA (0.62 ng/L and 0.52 ng/L respectively) with no inhibitors detected in any of the colour groups. As the artefacts that gave the best DNA quantities were very light and light, this could make differentiation from blood spatter easier as these are often darker in colour. Based on the findings of this study, a standard operating protocol has been started that can provide guidance for the sampling of artefacts at the crime scene, with scope for further developments identified.
    • Object characterisation using radar signals

      Patel, Akash (University of Bedfordshire, 2024-10-31)
      With society slowly moving towards a future where autonomous vehicles will soon be implemented into everyday life; this study will help lay the foundation to provide a solution to help aid vulnerable road users. The motivation for this study has stemmed from vehicle to pedestrian collisions and this project looks to provide a solution which will look to aid vulnerable road users, especially highway workers by developing clothing which have enhanced radar reflective properties. With the inconsistent radar cross section of vulnerable road users due to their unpredictable movements, along with the weakness in radar sensors, has meant this study can address the research gap in this department. The study looked at performing an ISO standard level calibration procedure when it came to testing the radar signatures of the selected material. However this procedure could not be conducted due to the challenges in the test environment available during the test scenarios. With this limitation in mind, a much simpler calibration procedure was conducted with a known objects theoretical radar signature. Once each sensor was calibrated, a range of materials were tested and analysed to determine the suitability for this project. The results showed that the materials which incorporated the usage of silver demonstrated a higher radar signature than those that didn’t. This is due to the conductive nature and material properties of silver. Once categorized each material was soon to be implemented into a wearable clothing prototype using a high viz jacket. Angular tests of the dummy pedestrian showed there are still some scenarios where the dummy with and without the high viz jacket did not provide a satisfactory radar signatures. This was highlighted in the 135 degree and 180-degree angular tests also cementing the point that there is a need for RCS enhancement for highway workers in particular, as the high viz jacket does not provide enough support in certain positions. With this in mind the usage of material 5b showed no conclusive evidence that there will be an increase in radar signature when added to the high viz jacket, which in turn prevented the production of further prototypes as each material was then saved till a cleaner test environment was provided for use. Results demonstrated, highly conductive materials provide an enhanced radar signature with pedestrian posture and angles also greatly affecting radar readings. If the major limitations of this project can be addressed, allowing a collection reliable data to be collected, the findings could provide the necessary requirements to developing a low-cost clothing option for vulnerable road users.
    • How does social media affect artists’ working methodology and flow?: an exploration of a hypothetical model of iterative feedback

      Johnson, Nicola (University of Bedfordshire, 2023-07-12)
      Working on a hypothesis that there is an iterative feedback model of operant conditioning in studio practice, this research undertakes field research to look at the practice of contemporary visual artists’ use of Social Media as a way of self-promotion. Using art based qualitative research methods, I interviewed and examined 4 contemporary visual artists who share work on Social Media platforms to see if their use of Social Media effects a change in behaviour within the studio environment. This research falls within the methodology of my own visual art practice and as such creates a framework for this project. My artworks Control Models, 2021 - 2023, exhibited December 2021, Basement Gallery, Bedford, and Propaganda Models, 2017, exhibited at 292 New Messages, Luton June 2018 form the basis for my critical reflection of my own work. I interrogate my own practice as well as others by looking at how the personal application of an artist’s methodology and the iterative feedback model affected by operant conditioning impact each other. This thesis seeks to identify how much the use of Social Media within the context of a contemporary arts practice impacts the arts practice itself. To define this the thesis examines: the theoretical writing in the area of Social Media; the structure of Social Media in the current social context; artists’ use of Social Media applications as both an artists’ medium and self-promotion through a survey; the thoughts of a small focus group of artists though self-reflexive autoethnography and the use of the researcher and artists’ own arts practice. The research includes theoretical research into ‘Flow’ as defined by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, applied to my own practice and that of other self-defined contemporary artists, to examine how the ‘Flow’ of creative practice can be impacted by the use or awareness of Social Media in the studio space. Using these means, I offer conclusions on the level of impact Social Media has on artists’ practice.
    • 3D inversion techniques for mapping porosity across composite material layers

      Vasilache, Mihai-Mircea (University of Bedfordshire, 2024-10-07)
      Carbon fibre reinforced polymers (CFRP) are extensively used across various industries, particularly aerospace and other engineering fields, thanks to their exceptional structural and mechanical properties. However, these materials are prone to defects such as delamination, broken fibre, resin cracks, fibre misalignment and void inclusions such as porosity. Among these, porosity remains the most common defect, significantly impairing the performance and durability of CFRP structures by altering their structural integrity and mechanical properties. Traditional non-destructive testing (NDT) methods, including Ultrasonic Testing (UT), Radiographic Testing (RT), Computed Tomography (CT), Thermographic Inspection, and Eddy Current Testing (ECT), are commonly employed to map and characterise porosity. However, these methods often face challenges such as high costs, time consumption, limited spatial coverage, and the inability to comprehensively inspect large structures or capture the full extent of porosity distribution. To address these challenges, the present study investigates the application of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) to ultrasound data for mapping porosity across CFRP layers. By leveraging CNN, this research introduces a novel machine learning-based approach to analyse ultrasound imaging data and predict porosity distribution. In this study, the CNN is setup to incorporate the pre-trained VGG-16 architecture and optimised via the OPTUNA framework, is proposed to facilitate fast and accurate porosity assessment in CFRP layers. The CNN is trained and validated on two distinct datasets: simulated ultrasound signals generated by a Finite Element (FE) model, whereas the experimental data is from an ultrasound immersion tank setup. Four samples with different porosity levels across their layers are built and tested in the present work. The CNN model achieved 96.49% training accuracy and 100% validation accuracy on the simulated dataset, while demonstrating 99.66% training accuracy and 99.22% validation accuracy on the experimental dataset. These results highlight the ML model robustness and adaptability in handling both synthetic and experimentally acquired ultrasonic signals for porosity inspection. The CNN consistently identified porosity patterns across different layers, underscoring its efficacy as a non-destructive testing tool with potential for automated data interpretation and streamlined quality control in composite manufacturing processes. Notwithstanding these promising outcomes, this research emphasises the importance of extensive, high-quality datasets to mitigate the risks of overfitting and improve the generalisability of the CNN model. The findings contribute to the broader domain of machine learning (ML)-driven inspection 4 methods, demonstrating that advanced ML algorithms can significantly enhance the detectability and quantification of critical defects in CFRP structures. Consequently, the proposed methodology lays the groundwork for the integration of ML-based non-destructive evaluation systems, with implications for optimising CFRP production, reducing inspection times, and bolstering the reliability of advanced composite components in aerospace, automotive, and other high-performance industries.
    • Relational wellbeing amongst care-experienced young people in transition in the context of Covid 19

      Munro, Emily; Friel, Seana; Lynch, Amy; University of Bedfordshire; University of Warwick (2025-07-03)
      Care-experienced young people typically negotiate the transition to adulthood at a younger age than their peers in the general population and with less reliable access to support. Concerns have been raised that Covid 19 exacerbated the challenges they faced and widened the ‘care-gap’. The paper employs a relational wellbeing approach to explore young people's wellbeing and experiences of ‘having enough’, ‘being connected’ and ‘feeling good’ in the midst of the Covid 19 pandemic. It presents three case examples and draws on data from 32 interviews with young people in England, to explore the impact that the presence or absence of ‘family-like’ ties had on the extent to which needs were met. Findings illuminated that feeling ‘connected’ did not ‘prevent’ fluctuations in ‘having enough’ or ‘feeling good’ (or less bad), but strong relational ties did assist young people as they navigated precarious times. For some, institutionally arranged care arrangements evolved, making way for deepening connections and the emergence of ‘family-like ties’, which were mutually supportive. For those living alone, or in transitional placements and who lacked a network of support during Covid 19, its absence was keenly felt. Young people's accounts also serve to reinforce the importance of professionals being attentive to who matters to them and taking their wishes and feeling into account in decision-making processes.
    • Government spending impacts on unpaid carers in England since 2010: a systematic review

      Taylor, Dan; Wainwright, Jodi Emma; Vseteckova, Jitka (Bristol University Press, 2025-06-30)
      Since 2010, austerity-driven cuts in government expenditure have severely impacted unpaid carers in England. This systematic review examines evidence on caregivers’ financial security, service access and health. Despite the Care Act 2014’s goals, inadequate funding limits its effectiveness. Increased economic hardship, insufficient Carer’s Allowance and rising unmet care needs disproportionately affect disadvantaged groups, younger carers and women, worsening mental and physical health. Two recommendations emerge: first, immediate government investment and the establishment of a cross-party commission to set a minimum level of caregiver support; and, second, longer-term systemic change that recognises caregiving as a fundamental political right, protects caregivers’ social security and addresses broader social inequities.
    • Observations on the implementation of Relationships, Sex, and Health Education (RSHE), which include LGBT themes in an English primary school

      Baird, Alex; (MDPI, 2025-06-26)
      The article belongs to the Special Issue The Embodiment of LGBTQ+ Inclusive Education. The latest Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education, and Health Education (RSHE) Draft Guidance seeks to reduce the inclusion of LGBT themes in English schools. Additionally, the Gender Questioning Draft Guidance for Schools and Colleges and the Cass Review overlook the rights of trans and non-binary young people, further intensifying the heated debates surrounding their lives. In response, the author draws upon research conducted in a primary school in Greater London in 2021, when statutory RSHE, including LGBT content, was first introduced. The research aimed to understand how teachers felt about teaching RSHE and to collaborate with them to enhance pupil learning within and beyond the RSHE curriculum. This paper critiques lesson observations and teachers’ reflections on their lessons using a Framework for Sexuality Education and Queer Theory. The researcher’s call to rethink how RSHE is taught should not be taken to mean it should not be taught. To the contrary, the findings suggest a need for the school to broaden its curriculum, teaching methods, and strategies to become a truly ‘LGBT-inclusive’ environment. However, the paper also illuminates the apprehensions these primary school teachers experienced, which in turn influenced pedagogical decisions. The article concludes by recommending specific whole-school approaches and effective pedagogical practices for RSHE in the school, which could be beneficial to other primary school settings. Effective teaching of LGBT themes requires clear support for educators, especially within the complexity of a primary school setting and given the changing political and social climate.
    • The emergence of the student in Colin in Black and White & Top Boy

      Belas, Oliver; (British Association of Film, Television and Screen Studies, 2025-06-26)
      This article considers the relational and positional emergence of the student in two shows (markedly different narratologically and socioculturally): Colin in Black and White, which features and is based upon the life of NFL player turned activist Colin Kaepernick; and Top Boy. Both shows are concerned with the intersection of race and class and with the role of place (as particularized geographic location) and space (as cultural, ideological, discursive) in that intersection. The article considers instances in which the student emerges as such in both the presence and absence of the discursive reach (or institutional gaze) of the school. Colin in Black and White not only depicts a young Colin Kaepernick negotiating high school (a ready microcosm for the social, cultural, and political landscape of America), but also takes its audience to school: the audience is positioned as one of the show’s students. Top Boy, by contrast, dramatizes the emergence of teacher-student relations in the absence of formal educational structure. It does so by centring people and places that are often marginalized, and marginalizing those which are often centred.
    • Getting ‘there’: the process of co-creating a good supervisory relationship

      Deij, Petra Cornelia (University of BedfordshireUniversity of Bedfordshire, 2025-05)
      This thesis outlines the findings of a four-and-a-half-year study focusing on clinical supervision and the supervisory relationship. This professional doctorate is rooted in my experience as a systemic family therapist, trainer, and supervisor. Clinical supervision is widely recognised as fundamental to the professional development of individuals in the helping professions, and there is a consensus that the supervisory relationship is central to effective supervision. Despite the existing research on clinical supervision and the supervisory relationship, there is a notable gap in the literature regarding the essential factors that supervisors and supervisees consider necessary for good supervision, particularly how they perceive themselves to contribute to these factors. This study aims to better understand the key elements identified by supervisors and supervisees that foster a positive supervisory dynamic and the actions they take to co-create this relationship. Two main research questions guide the research: *What factors are considered essential for a ‘good’ clinical supervisory relationship? *What steps do supervisors and supervisees take to co-create a 'good' clinical supervisory relationship? I employed a reflexive collaborative methodology within a qualitative research framework to explore these questions. The reflexive aspect acknowledges my influence as a researcher, recognising the limitations of my perspective and the inevitability of my subjectivity. Reflexivity allows me to consider my position, its implications, my knowledge, my interpretations and my own reflective processes. The collaborative approach emphasises that my research is a partnership with the participants, the literature and the supervisees I work with, recognising that cultural and social discourses shape knowledge and that all voices contribute equally valid interpretations. Eleven research conversations with fifteen supervisors and supervisees were recorded, watched, and listened to, and the transcripts were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Six factors were identified as essential in supervision: availability, clarity, disclosure, feedback, power and contextual consciousness. However, these factors do not exist in isolation; they are framed by the meaning-making processes of the participants, informed by their reflectivity and reflexivity. Through a deeper understanding of the critical role that reflectivity and reflexivity play in learning, I argue that these concepts are essential tools for practitioners and ethical imperatives in practice and for learning. I advocate a structured use of reflectivity, critical reflectivity, and reflexivity, which has led to the creation of a model that organises these concepts. This model, the reflect/xivity pendulum, three strolls with an emphasis on reflectivity, critical reflectivity and reflexivity, each consisting of ten steps, is a new model that contributes to the field of life-long learning for practitioners in the helping professions.
    • Dance and autism: explorations of unexpected benefits through inclusive practice

      Accettura, Sara Rita (University of BedfordshireUniversity of Bedfordshire, 2025-05)
      In this research, I conducted a practice-based qualitative study to explore the unexpected exchanges that emerged from inclusive dance activities shared by experienced dancers and autistic individuals. Drawing on my experience in leading community work and engaging with young autistic individuals, I generated new knowledge through dance activities and the observation of these practices. This research acknowledges that autistic individuals are unique, each with their strengths and attributes. The focus is not on the limitations implied by this label, but on recognising the diversity and potential within each person. As the dance practitioner and researcher in the study, I adopted a reflexive approach, reporting the work I have done as a case study centred on creative dance sessions. I aimed to define the nature of the intersection between dance practitioners and autistic individuals, with a focus on the unexpected outcomes and the potential benefits emerging from this intersection. While dance is widely recognised for its mental and physical benefits, my study sought to identify the specific advantages that arise from inclusive practices through experimentation and observation of the phenomenon rather than those with predefined goals and outcomes. The data I collected revealed four fundamental themes from the lived experiences of all involved: Inclusion, Diversity, Exchange, and Accessibility. Based on these findings, I propose the I.D.E.A.L. model—an Inclusive, Diverse, Exchange-driven, and Accessible Learning environment. This model offers flexible guidelines adaptable to various educational contexts. I present my reflections on teaching through autobiographical narratives and vignettes of some participants. I acknowledge that experiences vary from one individual to another and that while participants in this study shared similarities, their experiences were also distinct. Moreover, I recognise that this study does not represent the entire population of individuals with neurodevelopmental differences associated with autism, nor does it encompass the whole community of dance students and practitioners. However, the empirical findings emerging from my practical research can offer valuable tools for other dance practitioners and educators, which can be applied in diverse teaching contexts.
    • Optimised 5G Network Sub Slicing Orchestration (ONSSO) in a fully virtualised smart company using machine learning

      Efunogbon, Abimbola (University of BedfordshireUniversity of Bedfordshire, 2025-05)
      The traditional method of one size fits all for network resource allocation no longer works for various vertical with the limited available network resource to meet the increasingly rise in demand for diverse requirements to satisfy network quality of service (QoS), quality of experience (QoE) and service level agreements (SLA). The complexity of allocating various network resources to each vertical as required and on-demand has been a major challenge with the flexible 5G network. This research examined existing studies on network slicing, which serves as an enabler for 5G and aim to identify and solve the challenge with efficiently allocating the limited network resource to orchestrate the 5G network slices on-demand. It also investigated the existing challenges of managing current cross domain network resources in an enterprise network with dynamic and unstructured network slice requirements and then proposes a framework to efficiently orchestrate the network slice to meet the varying latency, data rate, mobility, and reliability needs thereby reducing capital and operational expenditure. In this study, the proposed advanced machine learning (ML) algorithm pipeline model designed for optimised sub-slicing of 5G network slice dynamically on demand, re-learning, and service function chaining to orchestrate bespoke network slice is called the Enhanced Subslice Model (eSS). This study further proposes a smart and novel end-to-end adaptive resource management framework which is defined as ONSSO. This proposed framework comprises of functions ranging from the analysis of the diversified network service on a network, to the implementation of the proposed ML-based eSS model which incorporates a series of supervised machine learning algorithms as well as the LazyPredict module to find and suggest the best-fit model, to the making of intelligent decisions for the specific network data environment being monitored in real time or analysed with historical data. It also includes functions ranging from implementing caching to improve the user experience and performance of orchestration right through to employing reinforcement learning techniques for admission control, as well as predicting future network traffic data pattern thereby ultimately adapting slice configurations in real-time and efficiently orchestrating alternative best fit bespoke network slices. This ONSSO is designed to enable and optimise processes within a newly proposed vertical called Enterprise Company Network as a Service (CNaaS) which is based on an industry 4.0 smart company. The integration of the ONSSO into CNaaS provides a scalable and optimised solution to network sub-slicing orchestration in an enterprise network. This CNaaS was ultimately used as a case study in validating the model through simulations conducted using python with MATLAB and Simulink, where different network parameters were analysed under varying conditions. These simulations enabled the identification of optimised resource allocation strategies across multiple slices, considering factors such as latency, bandwidth, and energy efficiency. Results from the MATLAB simulation demonstrate that the proposed model significantly enhances the flexibility and scalability of network subslice orchestration for dynamic and adaptive network management in future mobile networks. When compared with traditional static orchestration methods, the sub-slicing of the network slice with the proposed machine learning-based pipeline exhibited improvements in resource utilisation, enhancing QoS and QoE for end-users and reduced the risk of denial of service. This research offers a novel approach to network slice orchestration, with potential applications in various sectors such as smart cities and autonomous vehicles. The proposed model not only contributes to the ongoing development of 5G and 6G networks but also provides a foundation for future research on adaptive network management. This research aims to initiate discussion on the new suggested concept of enhanced subslice as well as robotic process automation of network slice orchestration, provide the foundation for the application model which application programming interface can be built upon and spur development on true fully automated self-organising network slice orchestration.
    • Tourism and the horizons of becoming: the gestation of an ongoing posthuman / post-qualitative inquiry agenda

      Suleman, Rukeya (University of BedfordshireUniversity of Bedfordshire, 2025-03)
      This study is formed of two main strands. Firstly, this thesis intends to set up a future inquiry agenda where matters of becoming experienced by British Muslim women can be understood. The experiences of British Muslim women who travel internationally will be inspected in order to shed light on how their trajectories of becoming are constructed. Secondly, this thesis will attempt to evaluate the current thinking capacity of the Humanities / Social Sciences and the applied field of Tourism Studies when conceptualising mattes of becoming for these said British Muslim women. This inquiry is heavily guided by the post-humanist philosophies of Deleuze and Braidotti. These hallmark conceptualists will guide how this inquiry approaches and conceptualises becoming, the creation of new possibilities for thinking and in how awarenesses are generated in the understanding of the relationalities between faith / spirituality / mobility / travel / gender. Post-qualitative inquiry will shape the approach to methodology, which is highly emergent, indeterminate and warns against pre-assumptive decision making before the researcher has spent time understanding matters ‘in the field’. Continuing with the Deleuzian intuitions that run throughout this thesis, there are no final, concrete conclusions, instead the last half of this thesis deals with a range of critical implications and future prospects which have been generated in relation to the aims and objectives of this inquiry. Chapter 4, The Implications, explores 10 critical pathways inspired by the nomadic logic of Braidotti (2011) and Deleuzian philosophy to create new visions of subjectivity and more dynamic possibilities of thinking within Tourism Studies as an applied field. Leading on from this, Chapter 5, The Prospects, details 22 areas for possible future inquiry. These 22 possible ‘lines of flight’ dance across the main themes which have been explored in the thesis and display the potential rhizomatic, emergent directions this study could take. Finally, because the 22 areas of possible study are vast and wide ranging, the last chapter, The Recommendations, then go on to select 10 inquiry agendas with more specific areas of investigation which shed light on how the becoming of British Muslim women could be approached through future research. As stated above, this last recommendations chapter focuses on how a selection of these insights and implications can be taken forward to carefully curate a future inquiry agenda based specifically around (i) the inheritances of Islam, (ii) British Muslim women, (iii) matters of spirituality and pilgrimage, (iv) the power of tourism and travel, (v) matters of belonging, (vi) exercise of researcher awareness, (vii) acts of living and aspiration, (viii) deficits of hailed understanding within Tourism Studies, (ix) role and function of research institutions in Tourism Studies and (x) post-human orientations towards globalisation and mobility.
    • The socio-cultural dynamics of children’s relationships and mental health: an investigation of street children in Pakistan

      Ayub, Bushra (University of BedfordshireUniversity of Bedfordshire, 2025-06)
      The phenomenon of street children in Pakistan is complex and multifaceted, deeply intertwined with social and cultural dynamics. Previously, the topic has not been examined through a comprehensive lens. Therefore, this PhD project was designed to thoroughly investigate the phenomenon, from exploring the lived experiences of street children to proposing targeted interventions for the future. The project is structured into three progressive studies, each building on the findings of the previous one. Study 1 was exploratory, involving interviews with 25 street children in Lahore, Pakistan, to understand the reasons they end up on the streets. Through narrative analysis, seven themes were identified, leading to three core narratives: "Born in Poverty," "Parental Illness/Death," and "Working while Attending School." The findings suggest that street life is primarily a consequence of factors such as poverty, an inadequate education system, abuse, or the need to escape adverse conditions. These factors are understood through the lenses of cultural and socioeconomic perspectives. Study 2 was quantitative and assessed common mental health symptoms among street children compared to their school-attending peers. The study involved 116 street children and 116 school-going children, using measures to evaluate mental well-being, trauma, and relationships. The results showed significant differences, with street children exhibiting greater vulnerability to poor mental health outcomes. Study 3 incorporated grounded theory to engage directly with the target population (street children), their parents, the general public, and stakeholders to determine the needs for a potential intervention. The results yielded that a holistic approach is necessary to address the multifaceted issues faced by street children in Pakistan. This approach would integrate financial, psychological, social, and educational support to ensure long-term sustainability. In conclusion, this PhD project highlights important theoretical and practical implications for policymakers and provides a foundation for addressing the needs of street children in the local context of Pakistan. The research underlines the urgency of developing informed, culturally sensitive policies and interventions that address both the immediate and long-term needs of street children.
    • Zooming in on the process-product nexus of meaning-related revisions: a micro-analytic approach to keystroke logging data

      Chan, Sathena Hiu Chong; Lam, Daniel M. K.; ; University of Bedfordshire; University of Glasgow (Elsevier, 2025-06-27)
      While many writing studies to date show that higher-proficiency and lower-proficiency L2 writers have distinct writing behaviours, there is relatively little research into meaning-related revisions – changes which influence the meaning of the text as compared to surface-level changes related to grammar or format, and whether and how such revisions make a text-level impact. Taking a micro-analytic approach, the current study examined the real-time revision behaviours of six adolescent L1 and six adolescent L2 English writers, as captured by a keystroke logging programme. The analysis compared measures of revision behaviours and the context (i.e., location) and orientation (i.e., focus) of the meaningrelated revisions between the two groups, and examined qualitatively the specific ways the revisions do or do not contribute to enhancing the evolving text. Findings revealed that the L2 writers focused more on local-level revisions while the L1 writers’ revisions more often had a text-level impact (e.g., coherence, argumentation). Based on the findings, we discuss the value of examining the textual impact of meaning-related revisions using keystroke logging data for diagnostic feedback, and make recommendations for teaching and feedback activities in the L2 writing classroom.
    • 'Authorship, the 'Mezzanine', and late-modern anxiety: the metaphysics of the creative writing process'

      Miles, Philip (Routledge, 2024-05-07)
      When studying scholarly literature relating to textual reproductive influence and tradition, one contemplates an arguably omnipresent question relating to whether the creative process central to the established discourse on “influence” is a preliminary or subsequent matter. Harold Bloom (1973), in his seminal work The Anxiety of Influence, is arguably inconclusive on this matter, arguing for the importance of preceding literary work and its synthesis with the dynamics of the present, while experiencing something of simultaneous re‑interpretation of text. This creates an originality but is determined by extant materials that inform the organic development of literary form, focusing on acknowledging the influence of antecedent rather than a post‑creative adjustment, as well as a central focus on textual, rather than human, characteristics (Bloom xx). This chapter explores the possibility that the “anxiety of influence” may be more accurately considered a physical and metaphysical developmental aspect of creativity that is solely applied after creative inception. Thus, utilizing some sociological theories of “late‑modernism” and the philosophical approaches of Henri Bergson and Gilles Deleuze relating to the understanding of creativity, I will seek to develop a theory of creative phases that involve both understanding creation and the subsequent application of intertextual influence and intersectional dynamics of individual biographical identity of authors and their prospective critical audiences.
    • Establishing local sustainability projects that address the UN Sustainability Development Goals

      Pritchard, Diana J.; Morris, Vicky; Balanoiu, Irina-Petruta; Billah, Mamur (McMaster University Library Press, 2025-06-23)
      Before global disruptions and uncertainties, it is pertinent to prepare students with capabilities, and to nurture their agency, to influence change. This case examines a pilot student sustainability leadership initiative, comprising a ‘living lab’ model, and run at an English university. It engaged undergraduates, in partnership with academics, in projects they co-created to address campus and curriculum challenges. These were framed in relation to delivery of the UN Sustainability Development Goals. The model, underpinned by constructivist and experiential learning pedagogies, harnesses creativity and enthusiasm. A multi-level evaluation identified the impacts of the experience on students and academics and the outputs which delivered on key indicators of the University’s strategies. Such outcomes demonstrate the model to be effective and efficient and – in the context of limited resources – institutionally sustainable and transferable. This case is authored by the key staff and students involved.