An agenda for future Social Sciences and Humanities research on energy efficiency: 100 priority research questions.

Decades of techno-economic energy policymaking and research have meant evidence from the Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH)-including critical reflections on what changing a society's relation to energy (efficiency) even means-have been underutilised. In particular, (i) the SSH have too often been sidelined and/or narrowly pigeonholed by policymakers, funders, and other decision-makers when driving research agendas, and (ii) the setting of SSH-focused research agendas has not historically embedded inclusive and deliberative processes. The aim of this paper is to address these gaps through the production of a research agenda outlining future SSH research priorities for energy efficiency.

Participation in local food projects is associated with better psychological well-being: evidence from the East of England.

Background: Studies suggest that local food may contribute to well-being, but do not use standardized measures, or control groups.

Methods: An online survey compared participants of local food initiatives (n = 302) with members of the general population (n = 157) in terms of scores on standardized measures of well-being and distress. Using hierarchical ordinary least squares regression models, we explored the relationship between participation and well-being via four mediators-nature connectedness, psychological need satisfaction, diet and physical activity.

The Unintentional Procrastination Scale.

Procrastination refers to the delay or postponement of a task or decision and is often conceptualised as a failure of self-regulation. Recent research has suggested that procrastination could be delineated into two domains: intentional and unintentional. In this two-study paper, we aimed to develop a measure of unintentional procrastination (named the Unintentional Procrastination Scale or the 'UPS') and test whether this would be a stronger marker of psychopathology than intentional and general procrastination.

A Metacognitive model of procrastination.

Background: procrastination refers to the delay or postponement of task or decision-making initiation or completion and is often conceptualised as a failure of self-regulation. Recent research has suggested that metacognitions play a role in procrastination and that unintentional procrastination (UP), as opposed to intentional procrastination (IP), may be the most problematic form of this behaviour. We aimed to test a metacognitive model of procrastination that was grounded in the Self-Regulatory Executive Function model.

Nucleic acid testing: Is it the only answer for safe Blood in India?

Background: With the implementation of NAT in countries around the world, there is a growing pressure on the transfusion services in India to adopt NAT testing. India has about 2545 licensed Blood Centres. The Transfusion Services in India are fragmented, poorly regulated and the quality standards are poorly implemented.

Integrated Pest Management for Sustainable Intensification of Agriculture in Asia and Africa.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a leading complement and alternative to synthetic pesticides and a form of sustainable intensification with particular importance for tropical smallholders. Global pesticide use has grown over the past 20 years to 3.5 billion kg/year, amounting to a global market worth $45 billion.

Improving health and well-being independently of GDP: dividends of greener and prosocial economies.

Increases in gross domestic product (GDP) beyond a threshold of basic needs do not lead to further increases in well-being. An explanation is that material consumption (MC) also results in negative health externalities. We assess how these externalities influence six factors critical for well-being: (i) healthy food; (ii) active body; (iii) healthy mind; (iv) community links; (v) contact with nature; and (vi) attachment to possessions.

Sustainable intensification in agricultural systems.

Background: Agricultural systems are amended ecosystems with a variety of properties. Modern agroecosystems have tended towards high through-flow systems, with energy supplied by fossil fuels directed out of the system (either deliberately for harvests or accidentally through side effects). In the coming decades, resource constraints over water, soil, biodiversity and land will affect agricultural systems.

Comparative study of Treponemal and non-Treponemal test for screening of blood donated at a blood center.

The non-Treponemal tests such as Rapid Plasma Reagin test (RPR) or the Venereal Disease Reference Laboratory test are the most commonly used test for screening of syphilis in the blood centers in India. Now, with the availability of Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Immunochromatographic assays in the market, we decided to evaluate these assays in comparison with Treponema pallidum Haemagglutination Assay (TPHA) which was considered as a gold standard for this study. A total of 8 685 samples of voluntary blood donors were tested on Trepolisa 3.

The roles and values of wild foods in agricultural systems.

Almost every ecosystem has been amended so that plants and animals can be used as food, fibre, fodder, medicines, traps and weapons. Historically, wild plants and animals were sole dietary components for hunter-gatherer and forager cultures. Today, they remain key to many agricultural communities.

Evaluation of hemoglobin of blood donors deferred by the copper sulphate method for hemoglobin estimation.

Introduction: The copper sulphate (CuSO4) specific gravity test for Hb screening tends to give inappropriate failures. This prompted us to compare it with alternate screening methods.

Aim: To study the impact of inaccuracy of CuSO4 method on donor deferral.

Donor management in South-East Asia region (SEAR).

Quality management of a BTS starts with safe donor recruitment and donor care. In the South-East Asia region (SEAR) almost all countries except Thailand depend heavily on replacement of blood from relatives and friends. Most of these countries except Bangla Desh have ruled out the paid-donor system; however in the guise of replacement donation it still exists.

Dosimetric characteristics of the bests double-wall 103Pd brachytherapy source.

103Pd and 125I brachytherapy sources are being used for interstitial implants in tumor sites such as the prostate. Recently, a double-wall 103Pd source has been introduced, which has a design different from that of sources presently on the market. Dosimetric characteristics (dose rate constant, radial dose function, and anisotropy function) of this source were experimentally and theoretically determined following the AAPM Task Group 43 recommendations and were related to the October 10, 2000 revision of the NIST 1999 SK Standard for 103Pd.

Safe blood transfusion practices.

The advent of AIDS has raised a concern regarding transfusion transmitted diseases. Blood transfusion is safer than ever before through continued improvements in safe donor recruitment, screening of donors, testing of donated blood and appropriate clinical use of blood. The risk of residual infections is further reduced through inactivation of pathogens in blood components.

Current status of transfusion medicine in India.

A review of current scenario of transfusion medicine (TM) in India indicates an urgent need for restructuring the blood transfusion service (BTS). The BTS is hospital based with extreme variations in management and technology in different parts of the country. Compliance of quality assurance and good manufacturing practice is not ensured at all centres.