Anglia Ruskin University

Socioeconomic vulnerability analysis evaluates the extent to which a community or region is susceptible to the adverse impacts of natural disasters, considering the specific social and economic characteristics of the community. This study examines the socioeconomic vulnerability of the City of Oslo, Norway, to natural hazards using two distinct indexes: the Social Vulnerability Index (SoVI), which distinguishes the population considered as socially vulnerable (due to variables such as age and gender), and the Socio-Economic Status Index (SESI), which incorporates the social and economic status of the total population. The findings revealed that, while the least vulnerable subdistricts varied only slightly between the two indexes, the distribution of the most vulnerable subdistricts remained largely consistent. The measurement of socioeconomic status, rather than the extent of social vulnerability in the SESI, highlighted additional social aspects of vulnerability. Additionally, some variables contributed to the indexes in ways that contradicted expectations, likely due to theoretical inconsistencies in the index methodologies. Both indexes play a critical role in disaster risk management by capturing certain epistemic uncertainties arising from limitations in data and knowledge. However, it is important to note that any index provides only a static picture of vulnerability, offering an initial estimate of the conditions that may increase susceptibility to hazards. It does not fully reflect the dynamic nature of risk and resilience, which should be considered when engaging with disaster management authorities.

Advances in detection and treatment have improved breast cancer survival rates in the UK. To provide ongoing high-quality support, it is essential to identify and address the needs of patients with breast cancer who have completed active treatment. This qualitative evidence synthesis seeks to understand the experiences of patients after active treatment for breast cancer, particularly in terms of health, self-management and quality of life. The review shows that patients tend to experience ongoing health issues and self-management challenges, with negative consequences for their quality of life. Nurses need to carefully consider how they can support patients to self-manage symptoms and late effects following breast cancer treatment, and how to tailor interventions to individual health status, needs and preferences.

This reading list is an annotated bibliography of scholarly and critical work on the Brontës published in 2023. We have attempted to compile a comprehensive list of resources by consulting the MLA International Bibliography, Academic Search Complete, and the Brontë Blog (http://bronteblog.blogspot.com). Book chapters and scholarly articles on the Brontës are included except those articles published in Brontë Studies. Entire books on the Brontës are in the reviews section of this journal. The author’s initials in brackets are provided after each annotation.

The study sheds light on the subtle interactions among financial development, foreign direct investment (FDI), and the quality of regulatory frameworks, with particular reference to their deep influence on renewable energy use and carbon emissions across 22 developed countries from 2002–2021. The results show an interesting tendency: Financial development and FDI will reduce reliance on renewable energy, whereas a significant increase in GDP per capita will increase reliance. Secondly, carbon emissions have a negative association with the adoption of renewable energy and financial development, though both reduce environmental quality; there is a positive relation between real gross domestic product (GDP) and energy depletion in terms of these toxic emissions. The significant role of regulatory quality as a moderator in this process is particularly striking. There is a direct correlation between financial stability and more robust regulation, resulting in reduced financial liquidity available for investing in renewable projects and restricting the free flow of clean FDI. Crucially, the paper argues that when combined with strong regulation, FDI is more likely to contribute to reductions in emissions, while FYGD, nevertheless regulated at a high level of quality, should raise emissions. Winding up, the result indicates that neither financial depth nor institutional quality, in isolation, is sufficient to deliver significant environmental improvement. Thus, it is urgent to adopt sound green finance policies and to formulate focused regulatory systems that integrate financial development and foreign direct investment with a broader sustainability agenda.

Purpose Artificial intelligence (AI) is commonly offered as a potentially beneficial application towards bettering the future of people, organisations and society. However, AI can have a dark side, where, for example, ideologically driven AI decision-making is directed at political ends involving the impoverishing of the poorest in society to further neoliberal individual and collective political ambitions and careers. This paper aims to examine this ideologically driven dark side use of AI and to answer the research question of whether algorithmic and AI-enabled decision-making can be used by ruthless actors for dark purposes. Design/methodology/approach The current research adopts a case study approach to explore the algorithm-enabled immoral and unethical neoliberal governmental approach to welfare provision in Australia. This exploration is achieved via an examination of the report from the Australian “Royal Commission into the Robo-debt Scheme” and the related academic and other literature. Findings Robo-debt was an Australian AI-driven debt recovery system motivated by a neoliberal political agenda that aimed to capture overpayments from welfare benefit recipients. Findings include that AI misapplied faulty algorithms based on inappropriate timescales to assign and claim back overpayments to welfare recipients who had not necessarily been overpaid. The full power of the state was used to chase alleged debtors, resulting in huge amounts of stress, anxiety, panic and worry for those in the most vulnerable groups of Australian society. Originality/value The current paper is the first to examine the report from the Royal Commission concerning this ethical scandal in Australia through the lens of corporate psychopathy. According to the report, up to $1.73 billion in wrongly attributed debts were attributed to about 433,000 Australians. These people included victims of abuse, those with mental health issues, single mothers and their children, those with disabilities and the educationally disadvantaged. The use of algorithm-driven AI caused considerable societal hardship and upheaval.

Negative consequences of digital consumer media exposure (DCME) have attracted global attention, yet few studies have examined how it relates to adolescents’ meaning in life (AML) – a concept essential for healthy functioning and development. We propose, test, and largely support a novel dual mediation model linking DCME to AML through world assumptions (i.e., (1) self-worthiness with two beliefs in self-worth and luck, (2) world’s benevolence, and (3) meaningfulness with two beliefs in randomness and controllability), and materialism. Polish adolescents aged 15 to 19 (N = 679) filled in the World Assumptions Scale, the Aspiration Index, and answered questions about DCME (i.e., exposure to online advertising and e-commerce platforms) and AML. As predicted, the higher DCME, the higher self-worthiness (i.e., belief in personal luck) and world’s benevolence, and the increase in the latter two is associated with higher AML. However, contrary to expectations, the mediation effect of DCME on AML through self-worthiness (i.e., belief in self-worth) showed that as DCME increases, self-worthiness decreases. Also, unexpectedly, while controllability was not a significant mediator in DCME-AML relationship, randomness mediated DCME-AML. Simultaneously, the higher DCME, the higher the materialism, and the higher the materialism, the lower AML. These results suggest that while DCME may foster beliefs that individuals are fortunate and that the world is benevolent – supporting AML – it may simultaneously undermine self-worth and promote materialism, which can reduce a sense of meaning. The findings can usefully inform methods of helping youth build psychological immunity and use digital media to their advantage rather than disadvantage.

Objectives This study compared the effectiveness of traditionally-planned (TPT) and randomly-planned (RPT) jump training regimens on physical performance metrics in youth academy soccer players. The groups undertook jump training with identical total programme volume and intensity, differing only in the order in which the prescribed training weeks were executed. Design A total of 28 male youth academy soccer players (mean age: 12.6 ± 0.26 yrs; height: 158.1 ± 7.24 cm; mass: 43.3 ± 5.1 kg; maturity offset: 0.81 ± 0.38 yrs; soccer experience: 4–5 years) were randomly assigned to either TPT or RPT groups, undertaking an eight-week training programme. Methods While the TPT group executed a planned training programme, the RPT group undertook identical training weeks performed in a randomised order with all other training variables being the same between the groups. Results Results indicated significant within-group improvements across all metrics (sprint speed [10 m, 20 m, 30 m], countermovement jump [CMJ], drop jump, and change of direction speed; [dz = 0.37 to 1.15; p = <0.001]) except for the change-of-direction (CoD) test with no ball. No significant between-group differences were found except for in the CMJ, where the TPT group outperformed RPT (dz = 1.15 vs. 0.45, p < 0.001). Conclusion These findings suggest that RPT regimens may yield similar performance outcomes to TPT programmes when matched for jump volume and intensity, though there may be a specificity advantage to using planned schemes. Using more flexible approaches might prove beneficial over time as it appears to encourage greater variability and could benefit coaches who are negatively affected by scheduling difficulties or other time constraints to a programme. This pilot investigation can help coaches and future researchers by serving as a basis for further study of flexible planning in youth populations and can provide preliminary guidance on how coaches can establish effective training programmes without necessarily having to adhere to rigid frameworks.

Purpose This short conceptual paper aims to alert future contributors of research papers concerning exploitation to the uniquely exploitative nature of psychopathic people, including in their management and leadership roles. The paper offers guidance to researchers in the field of economic exploitation and inequality, suggesting that they should not overlook the personality-based explanations for such behaviour. Design/methodology/approach A search within the search engine “Google Scholar” for papers linking psychopathy to exploitation and exploitativeness was made in August 2025. This revealed five relevant papers. To achieve methodological robustness and ensure a comprehensive search was undertaken, a similar search was conducted within one of the current author's own databases, which contained 4,143 papers. This author is an acknowledged world leader in corporate psychopathy research, and keeps up to date with the relevant literature, and so this database should contain the most relevant papers. Twenty-five additional papers were thus identified and are discussed herein. Findings Potential and actual links between psychopathy and varied forms of exploitation, such as environmental exploitation, workforce mistreatment, exploitation of host populations within tourist destinations, illegal drug distribution, human trafficking, coercive pornography production, and gambling, are discussed. Areas for further research are suggested. Practical implications People with psychopathic personalities may be involved in a wide variety of exploitative activities, perhaps in conjunction with other antecedents of exploitation. Future research should take this association into account in designing further studies concerning exploitation. Originality/value In an academic environment where personality can be downplayed in favour of group and organisational dynamics, this paper reminds academic research colleagues of the important role the psychopathic personality can play in all forms of exploitation.

Alors que la loi de Moore ne dicte plus le rythme des progrès, les chercheurs explorent des solutions variées : empilement de composants, coprocesseurs spécialisés et technologies quantiques ou photoniques.