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The post-World War II availability of commercial spectrometers spurred the development of professional spectroscopic societies: The Infrared and Raman Discussion Group in the UK, the Coblentz Society, and the Society for Applied Spectroscopy in the USA. There was a desire to ensure that customers understood the instrumentation and techniques, became part of a community, and had access to the latest subject matter knowledge. With the advent of low-cost routine instruments, and portable instruments in the field, professional societies have a distinct role to play in education and training, especially as libraries deaccession (withdraw) even comparatively recent books on practical spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reflects on the challenges of developing academic research that is undertaken to create social change. I describe the ways that my research has been generated and guided by activism. Even though the descriptor of my research interests is generally gender‐based violence and mental health, my research is situated within an ongoing political discourse that fundamentally opposes and normatively challenges ideologies such as those implemented at a governmental level during the Taliban regime in Afghanistan that continue to have power over Afghan women's lives. I critique the emergence of two research projects that work with women survivors of violence and develop trauma therapeutic interventions using traditional storytelling. My positionality as a woman of Muslim origin and an academic in the U.K. resulted in inescapable juxtapositions and the necessary blurring of the boundaries between personal and professional viewpoints as well as highlighting the potency of traumatic stories in contexts of conflict, oppression, silencing and marginalization. I go on to explain why I have a moral obligation as an ethicist working in global health, with resources and expertise, to systematically develop my research questions and objectives in accordance with the end‐goal of tackling and deconstructing harmful ideologies and practices towards women and girls in societies marred by the violent complexities of national and international conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the UK, domestic violence (DV) is one of the most common safeguarding concerns children and young people report (CAADA, 2014). However, little is known about how children experience participation in interventions that aim to support their recovery if they have been affected by DV. This study aims to understand children's experiences of participating in a group programme facilitated by a DV organisation in the UK. Interviews were conducted with four children (aged 7–10) using a flexible, creative and child-led approach. A thematic narrative analysis was used, using a small story approach to narrative data. Results indicate that issues of children's agency, choice and intersecting identities are central to not only how children experience DV but also how they experience recovery. Findings highlight the experiential and relational aspect of therapeutic spaces that can enable children to form relationships and construct meaningful identities. Conclusions suggest that children need to be consulted in inclusive ways in order to contribute to the development and accessibility of services designed to support them when they have been affected by DV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frontline workers in homeless services work in a high‐intensity, emotionally consuming environment, with frequent exposure to traumatic material with potentially significant consequences for their own mental health. This, in turn, may have a negative impact on the quality of care provided to homeless service users. Prevention of this trajectory may be achieved through psychologically informed environments for staff. This study aimed to explore factors that may influence the development of burnout, secondary traumatic stress (STS), depression, anxiety and stress in this population. Elevated levels of burnout and STS were predicted, as was an association between the predictor variables of professional experience, educational background, continuing professional development, access to organisational support structures and the outcome measures of compassion satisfaction, burnout, STS, depression, anxiety and stress. An online cross‐sectional survey design using the Professional Quality of Life Scale (Version V) and the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale‐21 and scales designed for this study capturing occupational variables were distributed via email and national networks to a wide range of services across Scotland and the rest of the UK. Over 4 months in 2017, 112 frontline homelessness workers in health, social care and third sector organisations completed the survey. Results did not indicate elevated levels of burnout or STS, though depression and stress were found to be significantly elevated compared to population norms and were associated with burnout, compassion satisfaction and secondary traumatic stress. High levels of various types of supervision support and CPD were identified. There was no association between these and burnout or stress. We highlight the elevated levels of stress and depression and make a research recommendation to parse types of supervision to assess for optimal effectiveness and efficiency in ensuring that staff working in high‐stress homelessness settings receive optimal support to deliver high quality services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the UK, sport psychologists are presently supervised under the auspices of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES). In the present article, reflective practice is evaluated as a process that can facilitate the supervisory exercise in applied sport psychology (Anderson, Knowles, & Gilbourne, 2004). The material presented was collated via a 3-year longitudinal supervisory process based on the process of staged reflection (Knowles, Gilbourne, Borrie, & Nevill, 2001). The benefits of staged reflective development in the supervision process are highlighted, while differentiating between reflective techniques both in and on action. The present article also considers how different writing styles develop through the different phases of discussion and revisits the challenges associated with representing reflective practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Diversity education is a mandatory requirement for all mental-health practitioners and health care professionals in the UK National Health Service. Wide variability exists in the development, delivery, and evaluation of diversity education across health care settings, with limited evidence to suggest the optimal approach for teaching this subject. This study aimed to explore the perspectives of patients with mental illness on how to better teach and evaluate diversity education in the National Health Service. Methods: A participatory research approach was used with five mental-health patient organizations. Forty-two patients with mental illness took part in three participatory workshops. Data were analyzed through template analysis. Results: The findings indicated that a focus on the nuances and dynamics of clinical relationships would be beneficial. Specifically, the relationship considered most important to examine with respect to diversity education was the "practitioner–self" relationship. Discussion: Reconstructing the relationship-centered care model with the addition of the practitioner–self relationship may be better suited to theoretically informing future developments in diversity education. Further research is needed to understand what educational approaches contribute toward a relationship-centered care outlook and how relationship building behaviors, particularly those relevant to the practitioner–self relationship are best developed in diverse settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the executive summary of the biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug safety guidelines in inflammatory arthritis by the British Society for Rheumatology. Biologics covered by the guideline are mentioned, including certolizumab pegol. The target audience is secondary care health professionals directly involved in the management of patients with inflammatory arthritis. The GRADE method was used to evaluate the quality of evidence and the strength of recommendation.

The article discusses the biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug safety guidelines in inflammatory arthritis by the British Society for Rheumatology (BSR). The purpose of the guideline is to offer evidence-based recommendations for the safe use of biologic therapies in adults. Biologic therapies covered by the guideline are shown in a chart. The guideline was commissioned by the BSR Standards, Guidelines and Audit Working Group.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to provide an example of the Medical Research Council's guidelines for evaluating complex health care interventions in the context of smartphone-connected listening devices in adults with hearing loss. Method: Twenty existing hearing aid users trialed 1 of the following smartphone-connected listening devices: made-for-smartphone hearing aids, a personal sound amplification product, and a smartphone "hearing aid" application used with either wireless or wired earphones. Following 2 weeks of use in their everyday lives, participants completed self-report outcome measures. Results: Relative to conventional hearing aids, self-reported use, benefit, and satisfaction were higher, and residual disability was lower for made-for-smartphone hearing aids. The converse was found for the other smartphoneconnected listening devices trialed. Similarly, overall usability was judged to be "above average" for the madefor- smartphone hearing aids, but "below average" for the remaining devices. Conclusions: This developmental work, guided by the Medical Research Council's framework, lays the foundation for feasibility and pilot studies, leading to high-quality research assessing the effectiveness of smartphoneconnected listening devices. This future evidence is necessary to guide health care commissioners and policymakers when considering new service delivery models for adults living with hearing loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post Office is a customer service facility forming part of a national portal system. Prior to the advent of Postal and Zip Codes, postal system would route items to specific post office for receipt of delivery. The evolution and genesis of postal system is a very significant and important subject matter of study which dates back to 2400 B.C. The most powerful countries of the world like the United States of America, the Egypt and the United Kingdom were the pioneer in this line. In India too, the genesis of the postal system is a very important and interesting subject matter of study. During the process of development, the Postal system has evolved greatly affected by factors known and unknown. Here in this present study, an effort has been made to visualize the different factors which are responsible for evolution of the postal system around the globe and of course in India both pre and post independence. It is worth mentioning that the Postal system has evolved along with development of modern digital system. The whole postal system has ramified with the latest development of postal banking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on nearly two decades of research on health consumer and patients’ organizations (HCPOs) in the United Kingdom. In particular, it addresses questions of representation and legitimacy in the health policy process. HCPOs claim to represent the collective interests of patients and others such as relatives and carers. At times they also make claims to represent the wider public interest. Employing Pitkin’s classic typology of formalistic, descriptive, symbolic, and substantive representation, the paper explores how and in what sense HCPOs represent their constituencies. We found that policymakers themselves are less concerned with formal mechanisms adopted by groups and are more concerned with credibility, in particular whether HCPOs carry the confidence of their constituents. While some concerns about legitimacy remain, particularly in relation to funding from commercial interests, we argue that HCPOs bring a unique perspective to the policy process and to focus purely on formalistic representation provides only a partial understanding of their representative role and a constrained view of their collective moral claims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article I correct previous misconceptions about the London-based Imago Group (1954–71). In doing so I provide the first ever detailed history of the group, and of the role of the composer, Robert Still, in founding it in 1953 as an analysand society geared to its members using their experience of having been psychoanalysed in seeking to understand social issues and improve society. Examples are given of papers presented in this vein during the group's history of monthly meetings beginning in February 1954. Reasons for the group's demise following its meeting in July 1971 are also indicated as are examples of its inspiring similar groups in Canada and in Britain, including the Oxford-based New Imago Forum concerned with psychoanalysing social issues today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communication; cancer; existential; spiritual; religious; general practitioners; vocational training; continuing medical education. Design: The UK Medical Research Council's (MRC) framework for complex intervention research was used as a guide for course development and evaluation and was furthermore used to structure this paper. The development phase included: identification of existing evidence, description of the theoretical framework of the course, designing the intervention and deciding for types of evaluation. In the evaluation phase we measured self-efficacy before and after course participation. To explore further processes of change we conducted individual, semi-structured telephone interviews with participants. Subjects and setting: Twenty practising GPs and residentials in training to become GPs from one Danish region (mean age 49). Results: The development phase resulted in a one-day vocational training/continuing medical education (VT/CME) course including the main elements of knowledge building, self-reflection and communication training. Twenty GPs participated in the testing of the course, nineteen GPs answered questionnaires measuring self-efficacy, and fifteen GPs were interviewed. The mean scores of self-efficacy increased significantly. The qualitative results pointed to positive post course changes such as an increase in the participants' existential self-awareness, an increase in awareness of patients in need of existential communication, and an increase in the participants' confidence in the ability to carry out existential communication. Conclusions: A one-day VT/CME course targeting GPs and including the main elements of knowledge building, self-reflection and communication training showed to make participants more confident about their ability to communicate with patients about existential issues and concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A summary of the latest evidence‐based nutrition guidelines for the prevention and management of diabetes is presented. These guidelines are based on existing recommendations last published in 2011, and were formulated by an expert panel of specialist dietitians after a literature review of recent evidence. Recommendations have been made in terms of foods rather than nutrients wherever possible. Guidelines for education and care delivery, prevention of Type 2 diabetes, glycaemic control for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease risk management, management of diabetes‐related complications, other considerations including comorbidities, nutrition support, pregnancy and lactation, eating disorders, micronutrients, food supplements, functional foods, commercial diabetic foods and nutritive and non‐nutritive sweeteners are included. The sections on pregnancy and prevention of Type 2 diabetes have been enlarged and the weight management section modified to include considerations of remission of Type 2 diabetes. A section evaluating detailed considerations in ethnic minorities has been included as a new topic. The guidelines were graded using adapted ‘GRADE’ methodology and, where strong evidence was lacking, grading was not allocated. These 2018 guidelines emphasize a flexible, individualized approach to diabetes management and weight loss and highlight the emerging evidence for remission of Type 2 diabetes. The full guideline document is available at www.diabetes.org.uk/nutrition-guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a supply-side review of policies and practices that impact on the shortage of supply in the contemporary specialist housing market for older people in the UK.Design/methodology/approach The review is based on a review of academic literature, policy documents, reports and other sources.Findings There is a critical conflict between the key social purpose of specialist housing (i.e. living independent of socially provided care) and the values that underpin and ultimately limit the quantity of units in both the social and private sector. In the social sector, government policies prohibit rather than encourage local authorities and housing associations from increasing specialist housing stock. The nature of leasehold tenures in the private sector tends to commodify not only housing stock but also those who use it and therefore acts to instrumentalise housing supply in favour of the profit motive and the focus on the person and her or his needs is largely ignored.Originality/value While the shortage of specialist housing is well known, this paper is unique in that it provides a comprehensive and critical supply-side review of the factors that have created such conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In recent years there has been much emphasis on ‘research waste’ caused by poor question selection, insufficient attention to previous research results, and avoidable weakness in research design, conduct and analysis. Little attention has been paid to the effect of inadequate development of interventions before proceeding to a full clinical trial. Objective We therefore propose to enrich the development phase of the MRC Framework by adding crucial elements to improve the likelihood of success and enhance the fit with clinical practice Methods Based on existing intervention development guidance and synthesis, a comprehensive iterative intervention development approach is proposed. Examples from published reports are presented to illustrate the methodology that can be applied within each element to enhance the intervention design. Results A comprehensive iterative approach is presented by combining the elements of the MRC Framework development phase with essential elements from existing guidance including: problem identification, the systematic identification of evidence, identification or development of theory, determination of needs, the examination of current practice and context, modelling the process and expected outcomes leading to final element: the intervention design. All elements are drawn from existing models to provide intervention developers with a greater chance of producing an intervention that is well adopted, effective and fitted to the context. Conclusion This comprehensive approach of developing interventions will strengthen the internal and external validity, minimize research waste and add value to health care research. In complex interventions in health care research, flaws in the development process immediately impact the chances of success. Knowledge regarding the causal mechanisms and interactions within the intended clinical context is needed to develop interventions that fit daily practice and are beneficial for the end-user. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In July 2017, a landmark report Review of Nutrition and Health Research (80 pages) was published following a strategic review commissioned by The Office for Strategic Coordination of Health Research (OSCHR). The review sets out a future vision for nutrition research and offers recommendations designed to capitalise on UK strengths, tackle weaknesses and thus strengthen and revitalise the UK research base. Traditionally, the UK has benefited considerably from research funding from the European Union, and the report stresses the window of opportunity that exists to galvanise the research community at a time when the future of UK research funding is at a crossroads. Unusual for reviews of this type, the report emphasises the vital need for partnership with industry, not least because the sector is key to ensuring translation of research advances into healthier products and improved nutrition support for those who are ill. The strategic review calls for an agreed code of practice to facilitate open, transparent and effective partnerships. In response to the review, the Medical Research Council has identified three pillars of activity for nutrition research: building the UK research base; developing plans for global nutrition research; and working with the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Specialists in psychiatry, in the Indian sub-continent, were trained in the UK in the early 20th century. Just before Independence, an Indian branch of the Royal Medical Psychological Association was established. Many issues of contemporary concern were discussed, as also plans for the further development of psychiatry in the region. Soon after the Second World War, and the Independence of India, the association was disbanded. However, a large number of psychiatrists from south Asia now live and work in the UK, and the Indian Psychiatric society and the Royal College continue to have close links. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The British Society for Rheumatology published a revised and updated guideline on the management of gout in July 2017, the first in a decade. This article summarises the main recommendations of the new guideline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ASCN (Association of Stoma Care Nurses) UK guideline for the prevention and treatment of parastomal hernias is presented.

Cooperation in counterterrorism policing increases when communities can be confident that legislation and policy is not implemented in an arbitrary or discriminatory fashion: the ability to challenge executive overstretch, abuse, or misapplication of powers is vital for maintaining procedural justice. Through examining the experiences of the Federation of Student Islamic Societies, one of the oldest British Muslim civil society organizations, we see how key structural features of the counterterrorism legal and policy framework—the wide definition of terrorism, the broad discretion in the use of stop and search powers at ports, and the expansion of Prevent into the opaque terrain of nonviolent extremism—undermine cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

* Context.--Relatively little is known about the significance and potential impact of glass-digital discordances, and this is likely to be of importance when considering digital pathology adoption. Objective.--To apply evidence-based medicine to collect and analyze reported instances of glass-digital discordance from the whole slide imaging validation literature. Design.--We used our prior systematic review protocol to identify studies assessing the concordance of light microscopy and whole slide imaging between 1999 and 2015. Data were extracted and analyzed by a team of histopathologists to classify the type, significance, and potential root cause of discordances. Results.--Twenty-three studies were included, yielding 8069 instances of a glass diagnosis being compared with a digital diagnosis. From these 8069 comparisons, 335 instances of discordance (4%) were reported, in which glass was the preferred diagnostic medium in 286 (85%), and digital in 44 (13%), with no consensus in 5 (2%). Twenty-eight discordances had the potential to cause moderate/severe patient harm. Of these, glass was the preferred diagnostic medium for 26 (93%). Of the 335 discordances, 109 (32%) involved the diagnosis or grading of dysplasia. For these cases, glass was the preferred diagnostic medium in 101 cases (93%), suggesting that diagnosis and grading of dysplasia may be a potential pitfall of digital diagnosis. In 32 of 335 cases (10%), discordance on digital was attributed to the inability to find a small diagnostic/prognostic object. Conclusions.--Systematic analysis of concordance studies reveals specific areas that may be problematic on whole slide imaging. It is important that pathologists are aware of these areas to ensure patient safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the first sustained social analysis of the Kaleidoscope Trust, the UK's leading social movement organization on LGBTI issues internationally, and its engagement with the Commonwealth - particularly through forming The Commonwealth Equality Network, comprising national NGOs. A contribution is made to sociological and critical analysis of transnational LGBTI movements, through argument for a new analytical framework combining the sociology of human rights with a decolonizing, intersectional approach - beyond the division between optimistic theories extending Western LGBTI progressive politics, or pessimistic postcolonial queer analyses. To investigate organizations' strategies leading to the Malta 2015 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, the research utilizes sources of data including event observation and website sources, initiating analysis of online environments. The analysis deploys social movement theory to examine how and why Kaleidoscope selected the Commonwealth as a political opportunity structure to engage through strategies of framing and articulation of human rights. Invention of The Commonwealth Equality Network, shaped online and offline by imperial relations between core and periphery, is analysed via transnational public sphere and critical theories and argued to indicate a significant restructuring of global queer politics. It is contended that a consistently decolonizing and intersectional articulation of human rights is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focus of this article is the renovation and rededication of a WW1 cemetery designated for Indian Muslim soldiers, located in Woking, Surrey. The close involvement of the British Army in this project is examined as an instance of militarized multiculture. The centenary of WW1 provides the wider context for exploring the category of ‘the Muslim soldier’. The essay discusses the significance of military service for UK post-colonial citizens, whether in terms of advancing claims to belong to British historical narratives or in asserting the right to join the contemporary armed forces, as evidenced by the Armed Forces Muslim Association. In addition, the Islamic peace garden project illustrates the importance of community place-making initiatives for integrating minority cultural heritage into mainstream narratives. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article offers information on the annual conference of the British Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology to be held in Sheffield, England from October 4 to 6, 2017.

The article presents a study conducted to review the treatment of the glandular and systemic features of primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). Topics covered include the process of diagnosing pSS, the eligibility and exclusion criteria used in developing the guideline in treating and managing patients with pSS, and the guidelines for treatment of sicca manifestations, management of ocular manifestations of pSS, and miscellaneous treatments for dry eye and ocular complications.

The article presents a pragmatic and practical guideline for treating and managing adults with primary Sjörgen's syndrome (pSS). Topics covered include guidelines relating to the treatment of oral candida, management of salivary gland enlargement, and treatment of systemic disease. It also discusses guidelines relating to the management of pregnancy, and the assessment and management of lymphoma.

The article offers information on the London Gay Liberation Front (GLF) in England and the use of radical drag by them in the 1970s. Topics discussed include the film "Loverboy: Charles Jeffrey Takes New York," the influence of international student movement and counterculture on GLF, and the rejection of former drag or cross-dressing practices by GLF. Also mentioned are the demonstrations and political activity by GLF in the 1970s.

To inform anti-doping policy and practice, it is important to understand the complexities of doping. The purpose of this study was to collate and systematically examine the reasoned decisions published by UK Anti-Doping for doping sanctions in rugby union in the UK since the introduction of the 2009 World Anti-Doping Code. Case files were content analysed to extract demographic information and details relating to the anti-doping rule violation (ADRV), including individuals’ explanations for how/why the ADRV occurred. Between 2009 and 2015, 49 rugby union players and one coach from across the UK were sanctioned. Over 50% of the cases involved players under the age of 25, competing at sub-elite levels. Reasons in defence of the ADRV focused on functional use and lifestyle factors rather than performance enhancement. An a priori assessment of the “need”, “risk” and “consequence” of using a substance was not commonplace; further strengthening calls for increasing the reach of anti-doping education. The findings also deconstruct the view that “doped” athletes are the same. Consequently, deepening understanding of the social and cultural conditions that encourage doping remains a priority. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The case study explores how the expansion of the health services during the interwar period impacted upon the status of district nursing and examines how being a voluntary service shaped district nursing associations. A range of primary sources were used; the Association Annual Reports, the Medical Officer for Health Annual Reports for the Borough of Chelsea, the Ministry of Health records, the archives of the Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI) and the Borough of Chelsea Council Minutes. The Medical Officer for Health Reports and the Council minutes identify efforts to improve environmental factors that impacted upon health. These primary sources briefly note the contribution of the Association suggesting that it was integral to the health care provision but considered a constant. The impact of changes to the 1932 Sunday Entertainments Act provide an interesting juxtaposition between the acknowledged value of district nursing and the constant struggle to fundraise in order to provide home nursing. Throughout the 1930s the Association experienced staff shortages and challenges regarding recruitment. The complexities of payment for municipal health services following the 1929 Local Government Act contributed to the staffing challenges. The move to a block grant in 1938 provided increased stability with regards to income. The case study identifies a contradiction regarding the esteem and value placed upon district nursing associations providing home nursing and the constant challenge of resources. District nursing services face similar challenges and this is the 130th anniversary of the Queen’s Nursing Institute. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the British Society for Rheumatology's guideline for the management of gout. A background to gout, which is described as the most common cause of inflammatory arthritis worldwide, is provided which includes information on the clinical manifestations of the disease, its risk factors and co-morbidities. The objectives, target audience and limitations of the guideline are given as well.

The article summarizes the British Society for Rheumatology's guideline for the management of gout. The need for the revised and updated guideline as well as the objectives and target audience of the guideline are explained. The key recommendations from the guideline are also enumerated which include educating the patients about the importance of continuing any established urate-lowering therapy (ULT). The modification of lifestyle needed and the risk factors for gout are discussed as well.

Analyses of the impacts of the use of private finance by housing associations (HAs) across Europe regularly align with the hybridity in the social housing sector, linking private finance to a range of negative consequences related to the loss of social purposes by HAs. This article examines some of the implications of institutional investment for HAs in Britain to meet their economic and social goals. Using a combination of interviews with HAs and institutional investors and a round table discussion, the study shows how such investment has facilitated HAs as hybrid organisations which adopt a pragmatically ‘fit-for-purpose’ approach that combines social benefit with profitability. For institutional investors, investing in social housing is a profit-oriented business as well as a corporate social activity that creates public relations benefits. Importantly, the study shows how government regulations can affect the form of institutional investment (bond finance rather than equity investment) in social housing and help HAs balance the opportunities and risks in combining business and social orientations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background Diabetes has become a challenging health priority globally. Given the tensions of financially burdened health systems in Europe the mobilisation of community resources like voluntary organisations and community groups is seen as a health policy strategy to sustain the management of long-term conditions like diabetes. However, little is known about how this is happening in practice in Europe. Objectives To explore diabetes self-management interventions undertaken or promoted by voluntary organisations and community groups in Europe; and describe the types of working relationships between these organisations, European health systems and users when implementing diabetes self-management programmes in different areas. Design A mixed method study (survey/qualitative interviews) was undertaken. This research formed part of a European project (7th Framework programme of the European Commission) exploring the link between resources, like community organisations, and peoples’ capacities to manage long-term conditions. Settings Six European countries (Bulgaria, Greece, Norway, Spain, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom) participated in the study. Three areas: deprived urban area, a relatively affluent urban area and a deprived rural area were purposefully selected. Participants Through a purposeful sample and bottom up strategies 749 representatives of voluntary organisations and community groups were recruited from the geographical areas above. Organisations with at least three members, existing for at least one year that could provide information or other type of support directly or indirectly relevant to patients with diabetes were included. Methods Participants completed a 15 item questionnaire for the survey (n = 749) and a voice recorded semi structured interview (n = 300). Data collection focused on the type of activities and roles developed to promote health, and relationships and communication channels between organisations, health services and users. Descriptive and comparative statistical and qualitative content analyses were used. Results Participants perceived they had better reach of people with health needs than health providers, filled the administration gaps left in their capacity to deal with basic diabetes practical needs, humanized care, and acted as mediators between services and communities. There were significant differences between countries in relation to the types of activities (p-value < 0.001), roles (p-value < 0.001) and funding sources (p-value < 0.001) of organisations concerning diabetes self-management. In non-affluent countries organisations tend to promote social activities twice more often. Conclusions Community and voluntary organisations provide complimentary and on-going support in diabetes management. This involves a shift from focusing on the illness to also longing for social cohesion, sense of community and wellbeing in diabetes health practices and policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Austerity is an increasingly important feature of urban society in Western countries, both as a site interwoven with the crisis tendencies of capitalism and as spaces mitigating austerity programmes instigated by nation states. Cities have therefore become key spaces in the mediation of ‘austerity urbanism’, but where such processes involve deliberation, making the production of consensus highly problematic. Such tendencies require far greater intellectual sensitivity towards the practices of agents as they seek to enact social control and coordination, as well as subordinate resistance and critique. ‘Pragmatist Sociology’ is utilised in this paper to examine the construction and deployment of discursive institutions seeking to control the behaviour of actors, including reducing critique, with the intention of legitimising austerity programmes. Such discursive institutions establish semantic links between the discursive aims of those seeking to control and the pragmatics of the everyday lives of those subject to such institutions. The paper seeks to examine, first, through a case study of an English city, how key decision-makers construct discursive institutions in the implementation of austerity and subordination of resistance and, second, the actual practices of resisting austerity. In conclusion, the paper finds that austerity governance is characterised by discursive austerity institutions based on market and bureaucratic values, where large-scale critique has been marginalised, resulting in minor forms of critique in the everyday, and compounded by constant efforts at the reconfirmation of discursive institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The German guideline on long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) was published in 2008 by the German Respiratory Society (DGP), while the British Thoracic Society (BTS) published their most recent guideline in 2015. Objectives: The aim of the present article was to highlight the major areas of consensus and disagreement in the recently published BTS and DGP guidelines on LTOT. Methods: The BTS and DGP guidelines were directly compared in terms of congruencies and differences. A critical appraisal was then performed and authors' suggestions were provided. Results: The 2 guidelines are almost congruent in 2 major areas, namely, (1) the indication criteria for LTOT in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients at rest and (2) the recommended duration of LTOT over a 24-h period. However, 8 major areas in which the guidelines differ considerably were identified: (1) techniques for blood gas analysis; (2) timing of LTOT in stable patients; (3) LTOT in postexacerbation COPD patients; (4) ambulatory oxygen therapy; (5) nocturnal oxygen therapy; (6) titration of oxygen flow rates; (7) follow-up visits; and (8) LTOT for patients who still smoke. Furthermore, the BTS guideline is much more detailed, includes more references (161 vs. 71) and is more up to date than the DGP guideline. Conclusion: There are major differences between the 2 guidelines. Many of the aspects raised by the BTS guideline appear to be reasonable with regard to the current literature, clinical experience and prescription practices. However, an international consensus on LTOT is lacking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The British Association for Psychopharmacology coordinated a meeting of experts to review and revise its previous 2011 guidelines for clinical practice with anti-dementia drugs. As before, levels of evidence were rated using accepted standards which were then translated into grades of recommendation A-D, with A having the strongest evidence base (from randomised controlled trials) and D the weakest (case studies or expert opinion). Current clinical diagnostic criteria for dementia have sufficient accuracy to be applied in clinical practice (B) and both structural (computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging) and functional (positron emission tomography and single photon emission computerised tomography) brain imaging can improve diagnostic accuracy in particular situations (B). Cholinesterase inhibitors (donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine) are effective for cognition in mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (A), memantine for moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease (A) and combination therapy (cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine) may be beneficial (B). Drugs should not be stopped just because dementia severity increases (A). Until further evidence is available other drugs, including statins, anti-inflammatory drugs, vitamin E, nutritional supplements and Ginkgo biloba, cannot be recommended either for the treatment or prevention of Alzheimer's disease (A). Neither cholinesterase inhibitors nor memantine are effective in those with mild cognitive impairment (A). Cholinesterase inhibitors are not effective in frontotemporal dementia and may cause agitation (A), though selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may help behavioural (but not cognitive) features (B). Cholinesterase inhibitors should be used for the treatment of people with Lewy body dementias (both Parkinson's disease dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies), and memantine may be helpful (A). No drugs are clearly effective in vascular dementia, though cholinesterase inhibitors are beneficial in mixed dementia (B). Early evidence suggests multifactorial interventions may have potential to prevent or delay the onset of dementia (B). Though the consensus statement focuses on medication, psychological interventions can be effective in addition to pharmacotherapy, both for cognitive and non-cognitive symptoms. Many novel pharmacological approaches involving strategies to reduce amyloid and/or tau deposition in those with or at high risk of Alzheimer's disease are in progress. Though results of pivotal studies in early (prodromal/mild) Alzheimer's disease are awaited, results to date in more established (mild to moderate) Alzheimer's disease have been equivocal and no disease modifying agents are either licensed or can be currently recommended for clinical use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child welfare and protection agencies play an important role in bringing concerns about children and young people to public attention. The press release is a key tool within this. This article reports on findings from an analysis of press releases from selected UK child welfare and protection agencies in 2012. It demonstrates that the information contained in press releases is neither neutral nor dispassionate. Instead, press releases are found to be political artefacts, whose purpose is to galvanise and shape opinion and garner support for a particular standpoint, campaign or the agency itself. In this respect, they must be understood as ‘claims-making’ activities. Because of this, they should, it will be argued, be subject to the same critical scrutiny that we would expect to bring to the presentation of all ‘evidence’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim The management of large non-pedunculated colorectal polyps ( LNPCPs) is complex, with widespread variation in management and outcome, even amongst experienced clinicians. Variations in the assessment and decision-making processes are likely to be a major factor in this variability. The creation of a standardized minimum dataset to aid decision-making may therefore result in improved clinical management. Method An official working group of 13 multidisciplinary specialists was appointed by the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland ( ACPGBI) and the British Society of Gastroenterology ( BSG) to develop a minimum dataset on LNPCPs. The literature review used to structure the ACPGBI/ BSG guidelines for the management of LNPCPs was used by a steering subcommittee to identify various parameters pertaining to the decision-making processes in the assessment and management of LNPCPs. A modified Delphi consensus process was then used for voting on proposed parameters over multiple voting rounds with at least 80% agreement defined as consensus. The minimum dataset was used in a pilot process to ensure rigidity and usability. Results A 23-parameter minimum dataset with parameters relating to patient and lesion factors, including six parameters relating to image retrieval, was formulated over four rounds of voting with two pilot processes to test rigidity and usability. Conclusion This paper describes the development of the first reported evidence-based and expert consensus minimum dataset for the management of LNPCPs. It is anticipated that this dataset will allow comprehensive and standardized lesion assessment to improve decision-making in the assessment and management of LNPCPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The following article argues that defence intelligence in general, and Britain’s Defence Intelligence (DI) organization in particular, represents an area in intelligence studies that is significantly under-investigated. It makes the case that the significance of understanding defence intelligence and DI lies not only in a general lack of illumination but also because DI is subject to and prompts a range of difficulties and challenges that are either especially acute in the defence context or have ramifications for the wider intelligence community that remain to be fully appreciated. Particular attention is given to DI’s remit being divided between Ministry of Defence and national requirements, problems of fixed-sum resourcing an intelligence function with national responsibilities that is subordinate to Departmental spending structures and priorities, fraught positioning of defence intelligence in Departmental line management and, finally, a chronic lack of public or official interest or scrutiny. The article concludes that the UK’s experience has echoes elsewhere, notably in the US, and that wider international study of defence intelligence is both long overdue and may have implications for understanding of national and wider intelligence institutions and processes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article presents systemic sclerosis (SSc) management procedures issued by the British Society of Rheumatology and British Health Professionals in Rheumatology. Topics discussed include general tips on SSc management, recommended treatment options for SSc-linked diseases like digital ulcers, lung fibrosis and renal complications, and service organization and delivery recommendations for National Health Service (NHS) England.