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The article presents abstracts of various research papers that were presented at the meeting of The Society for Experimental Optometry at Birmingham, England on July 15-16, 1991. Some of the papers presents are "Effects of Different Ocular Fixation Conditions on A-Scan Ultrasound Biometry Measurements," by C.F. Steel, D.P. Crabb and D.F. Edgar, "The Accuracy of Pallor Boundary Tracking in a Computerized Optic Nerve Head Assessment System," by Michael J. Cox and Ivan C.J. Wood, and "Topography of Visual Evoked Magnetic Responses to Pattern Shift, Pattern Onset and Flash Stimuli," by A. Slaven, C. Degg and R.A. Armstrong.

Information about the papers discussed at the 4th International Corporate Governance Conference of the Centre for Corporate Governance Research that was held at the Birmingham Business School in England in July 2006 is presented. The event was titled "Global Developments in Corporate Governance." Interest in corporate governance and corporate responsibility continues to grow across the globe. The countries from which the delegates came were enumerated.

Highlights the International Corporate Governance Conference held at the Birmingham Business School in England on June 29, 2004. International representation; Keynote plenary session; Speakers.

The School of Health Sciences at the University of Birmingham provided opportunities for the development of student learning communities and online resources within the neurological module of the BSc Physiotherapy degree programme. These learning communities were designed to facilitate peer and independent learning in core aspects underpinning clinical practice, thus laying the foundation for the development of effective clinical reasoning. This paper examines some of the problems that staff encountered, including the lessons that they learnt through the design, development, and implementation processes of the module, and the subsequent modifications that were made. Student experiences of this course are also included, as they provided staff with further insights into the ways in which these problems impacted upon their preparation for clinical practice and how the module might be improved for future cohorts. From an analysis of the problems that staff encountered and then sought to resolve, and of student experiences of the course, this paper identifies foundations for good practice in the development and delivery of innovative learning and teaching methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper critically explores consumer perceptions and trends regarding purchasing locally produced food. Until recently, much of the research in this area largely focused on regional consumers where rural consumers had reasonable access to locally produced food and were usually in close proximity to the producers within, or close to, their immediate community. Here, the objectives of the primary research focused instead on urban attitudes and perceptions of local food within the Greater Birmingham conurbation in the West Midlands region of the UK. Birmingham is by far the most highly populated urban area of the region, and with ample opportunities to promote local food. Consumers, based mainly in Birmingham and Wolverhampton, were questioned on their locally produced food-buying habits and attitudes in order to determine any differences in urban perceptions and buying attitudes compared with rural counterparts, and also to identify any new and potential opportunities for local food producers. Originally, 1000 questionnaires were obtained from across Greater Birmingham and Wolverhampton. However, for the purposes of this paper, it was decided to focus on two urban city centres – Birmingham and Wolverhampton, with 148 questionnaires. The results indicate that urban consumers are generally confused about what the term ‘local’ food means. The reasons for purchasing local food, while generally consistent with national patterns, differed in that supporting the local producers was not regarded as important. Barriers to purchase were largely unsurprising for an urban area, as the top choices were ‘too expensive’ followed by ‘not readily available’ and ‘no time to find it’. Understanding, information, availability and access to local food emerge as the biggest challenges to urban consumers in buying local food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a new discussion of how people learn through deliberative processes, drawing upon empirical analysis of a novel public engagement process for urban river restoration. Such critical evaluation is rare and yet will be crucial to both theoretical development and learning about engagement practice, not least in a policy area subject to strong regulatory drivers for public participation. The analysis supports two important learning mechanisms – the use of ‘gatekeepers’ of knowledge, interests and values, and the privileging of narrative. It provides new evidence of instrumental and communicative learning about shared priorities and criteria for effective river restoration that evolved through the deliberative process and directly informed the restoration scheme. It is important to question whether and how such site or context-specific learning might inform other restoration schemes. Finally, the paper questions the often ignored issue of expert learning, not least the issue of the link between individual and organizational learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the connections between the training models of late 19th century Schools of Design (Art) as exemplified by the first municipal School of Art (Margaret Street, Birmingham) and the current preparation of specialist teachers of Art and Design. A recurrent theme is the paradox of objective, measurable standards, pitted against notions of subjective independent learning, individual relevance and choice. Consistent with other papers from this author, the thrust of the perspective is questioning the compatibility of an examination–dominated agenda and opportunities for experimentation, creative risk taking and forms of supported, purposeful play. Continuing research explores the concept and purpose of drawing in an increasingly technological, global information society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights the activities of the 1st International Conference on Corporate Governance held at the Birmingham Business School in Birmingham, England on July 2002. Participants of the event; Person who chaired the keynote plenary session; Topics related to corporate governance that were discussed during the conference.

This article announces that the International Contact Dermatitis Research Group wishes to encourage research by endowing a Niels Hjorth Prize. An original, unpublished paper is invited and a committee will select the winner. The winning entry will be given as a paper at the 9th International Symposium on Contact Dermatitis in Stockholm, Sweden in May 1990 and will also be published in the journal "Contact Dermatitis." A five-day residential course on occupational and contact dermatitis is to be held at the Institute of Occupational Health in Birmingham, England from October 30-November 3, 1989.

This paper reports the results of a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with 79 members of the Birmingham Untreated Heavy Drinkers Cohort. The cohort was recruited in 1997 when all participants were drinking 50 or more standard units of alcohol (men) or 35 or more units (women) most weeks. Present interviews were carried out as part of the fourth wave of interviews, held in 2003. The topic was the participants' places of drinking in the community and the functions those places served. The present analysis focused on the relationship between pubs and community. The strongest theme to emerge was that the pub provided for many participants a real sense of community in itself. It did so by enabling participants to meet with like-minded others, in a setting distinct from home or work, where conversing and confiding could take place in a relaxed atmosphere, with a range of other activities and forms of social support available to many. At the same time, participants were discriminating about which pubs they used, and when, and with whom they chose to interact. There was less consensus about whether the pub served a wider function by contributing to a positive sense of community in the local neighbourhood. It is suggested that English pubs, at least in a large conurbation such as the West Midlands, are very varied, sometimes continuing to serve as ‘the local’ for a community, sometimes being part of a variety of drinking places which between them provide people with a diversity of social niches to meet their increasingly diverse choices and preferences, and sometimes reflecting and even contributing to local community disorganisation. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birmingham has embarked on a brave attempt to broaden its planning ethos and incorporate elements of the city's diverse cultural population. A key feature of this new ethos is a re-scripting of its ethnic minorities as an asset rather than a problem. In this paper, I track the characterization of Birmingham's ethnic minorities through the newspaper archive and mobilize a politics of difference as a critical reading strategy. In so doing, I suggest the narrative form on Birmingham's ethnic minorities has persistently made apparent forms of co-existence which flag up a discontinuity between ‘diversity’ and the characterization of its ethnic minorities as an asset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of political theorists have recently argued that group representation is essential to the achievement of social justice. However relatively little work exists on the institutional implications of such arguments beyond the analysis of electoral mechanisms to achieve greater representation within legislatures. This leaves unanswered one of the most difficult questions facing policy-makers– how to effectively engage the range of Black and minority ethnic (BME) communities in decision-making processes. Through a detailed analysis of the changing nature of the arrangements in place in Birmingham (UK) to engage BME communities, this paper is able to reflect on the theoretical and practical challenges of group representation in contemporary polities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birmingham is re–inventing itself through a strategy of prestige city centre regeneration. Drawing on the theoretical lenses of transnationalism and postcolonialism, we sketch one alternative vision of Birmingham’s economic place in the world. Through a focus on ‘ethnic diversity’, and the subsequent distinctiveness of the city’s economy, this paper re–visions Birmingham as a ‘global’ city. Reflecting on a ‘politics of scale’, we highlight a ‘globalization from below’ that draws on the city’s residents and their histories [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limitations, frustrations and opportunities: a follow-up study of nursing graduates from the University of Birmingham, England This paper reports an ongoing study of the progress of nursing graduates from the University of Birmingham, England. The aim of the research was to follow-up early graduates from the programme, to assess their progress and study feedback indicators that could help further the development of this relatively new programme. The study also aims to contribute to the growing body of knowledge about United Kingdom nursing graduates, following the recent shift of nurse education from Schools/Colleges of Nursing into universities. Due to objection from some quarters as to the value of a university education for nurses, even such a small-scale study is considered to be important. A questionnaire was sent to the first three cohorts of graduates. It revealed interesting findings in relation to work patterns, continuing professional and academic development and perceptions of the value of the degree in practice. The graduates made recommendations regarding changes that might enhance the quality of the Birmingham degree and nursing practice generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The review which this paper outlines aimed to explore whether the ward round of the surgical team at Birmingham Children’s Hospital achieved its objectives and to investigate the attitudes of medical and nursing staff, patients and their parents towards the round. Initial open-ended interviews generated themes from which questionnaires were constructed and administered to 16 members of the surgical team, 30 nurses, 14 patients and 24 parents. The surgical team generally felt that the round plays a valuable role whereas the nursing team expressed dissatisfaction with many aspects of the round. The majority of the surgical and nursing team thought that the round should change from its present form and a number of suggestions were made as to how changes in the round could improve the quality of the teaching experience and promote quality in patient care. Patients tended to express rather neutral feelings towards the round although a significant minority of parents expressed concerns over confidentiality and the level of anxiety felt by children. It is hoped that the results of this review will be used to inform changes in the way the round is carried out. A further review will be initiated in the future to evaluate the efficacy of any such changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shortly before her untimely death, Andrea Adams, the author of the book Bullying at Work: How to Confront and Overcome It , attended the Conference on Bullying in Adult Life which was held in Birmingham on 10 October 1995. Despite her evident ill-health, she gave an immensely courageous and inspiring address. In response to a request for a written record, she sent two of her most recent articles ‘which may be helpful for plagiarising reproduction’. The authors have written the paper which follows as a posthumous, and perhaps rather inadequate, tribute to a fine human being. It is based on her speech in October, her two articles and her book. In addition, we are most grateful to the Manufacturing, Science and Finance Union for letting us use a transcript of a Keynote Speech which was delivered by Andrea Adams at their Annual Conference in 1995. We have used Andrea Adams's own words. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents announcement on the 'UK Multi-disciplinary Low-Vision Rehabilitation and Research Conference,' which is going to be held on 19 December, 2003 at Aston University, Birmingham, England. Deadline for the submission of abstracts; Invitation for papers; Contact information on the conference.

Benjamin Disraeli described Thomas Attwood as a 'provincial banker labouring under a financial monomania'. The leader of the Birmingham Political Union, Attwood's Warwickshire accent and support for a paper currency were widely derided at Westminster. However, the themes of Attwood's brief parliamentary career were shared by the other men who represented Birmingham in the early- and mid-Victorian period. None of these MPs were good party men, and this article illuminates the nature of party labels in the period. Furthermore, it adds a new dimension to the historical understanding of debates on monetary policy and shows how local political identities and traditions interacted with broader party identities. With the exception of Richard Spooner, who was a strong tory on religious and political matters, the currency men are best described as popular radicals, who consistently championed radical political reform and were among the few parliamentary supporters of the 'People's Charter'. They opposed the new poor law and endorsed factory regulation, a progressive income tax, and religious liberty. Although hostile to the corn laws they believed that free trade without currency reform would depress prices, wages and employment. George Frederick Muntz's death in 1857 and his replacement by John Bright marked a watershed and the end of the influence of the 'Birmingham school'. Bright appropriated Birmingham's radical tradition as he used the town as a base for his campaign for parliamentary reform. He emphasized Birmingham's contribution to the passing of the 1832 Reform Act but ignored the currency reformers' views on other matters, which had often been at loggerheads with the 'Manchester school' and economic liberalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper I aim to contribute to work addressing the relationship between dissident sexuality and gay political economy by providing a reconfigured Marxist exploration into the ambivalence of commercial gay space. Through the application of a central theme from Marx's Grundrisse—the civilising influence of capital—I propose a means to move beyond an Althusserian view of commercial gay space as a contained ideological incorporation of capitalist hegemony, to that of a capitalist embodiment of constraints and radical possibilities. Focusing on the commercial gay scene of the UK's second largest city, Birmingham, and the survival of a monthly British Asian gay club night therein, I explore the dialectical waves of capitalism. These waves drive conditions which both differentiate identity-based production/consumption to the assimilative relations of exchange value, and accommodate moments of cultural creativity that feed off this continual differentiation and escape its economic relations in the formation of radically new use-values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuing controversy over the extent to which labour management has been transformed in recent years has sustained considerable interest in the basic issue of how management regulates the employment relationship. However, two curious features of these burgeoning discussions are the neglect of small firms and the rarity of intensive fieldwork methods of investigation. This paper examines particular methodological issues arising from an ethnographic study of the small firms- dominated West Midlands clothing sector (Ram, 1994). The ethnographic approach was crucial to the unravelling of the complexities and tensions inherent in the management process. Insights generated by the method allow prevailing views of managerial practices in such settings to be questioned; and more generally, highlight the potential of ethnograpby as a means of management research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights the British Equine Veterinary Association congress in Birmingham, England. Theme of the event; Attendees; Programs and activities.

Focuses on a conference on multi-disciplinary low-vision rehabilitation and research to be held on September 19, 2003 in the Vision Sciences Building at Birmingham, Great Britain-based Aston University. Specification for abstracts to be submitted in the conference; Topics of discussion in the conference; Procedure for registration for the conference.

The article highlights lectures on evidence-based veterinary medicine during the British Small Animal Veterinary Association's congress (BSAVA) held in Birmingham, England on April 3-6, 2008. Doctor Mark Holmes, from the University of Cambridge, introduced a series of lectures. The lecturers include Doctors Vicki Adams, Rob Christley and Gina Pinchbeck.

The article announces the awards presented by the British Small Animal Veterinary Association to veterinarians during its 49th annual congress in Birmingham, England. The Bourgelat Award was given to Lesley King, head of the critical care section of the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Virginia Luis Fuentes of the Royal Veterinary College is the Woodrow Award recipient. Blaine Award was given to Ruth Dennis, head of the imaging unit at the Animal Health Trust.

This article presents a group discussion on the use of ultrasonic in endodontics. The discussion was opened by professor W.R.E. Laird, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England who welcomed the 30 participants from dental schools around the Great Britain. Professor P.J. Lumley assessed the oscillatory pattern of both straight and precurved endosonic files. C. Fern described the cutting efficiency of sonic files in vitro. Using a model system, sections of teeth were instrumented by both shaper and rispisonic files.

This article examines the way in which the senses were articulated in eighteenth-century hospital records. Touring these charities weekly, hospital governors assessed buildings using all of their senses in a way that was novel in this period. Examination of the minute books of the General Hospital in Birmingham tells us much about the way members of the eighteenth-century public experienced their world, established sensory hierarchies and refused to touch elements in their environment, among a number of other under-explored issues. Finally, it considers how historians might read for evidence of the senses in such contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information about several papers discussed at the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) Annual General Meeting held in Birmingham, England on April 5, 2009 is presented. Topic includes the discussion on the issues dominating Ed Hall's presidency in the association including the essence of BSAVA and its held mission, and the pedigree dog breeding. The conference was highlighted with the election of BSAVA's new team officers and the awarding of honorary life membership to Susan Shaw.

Climate change is expected to affect precipitation patterns and may therefore impact upon water resource availability. The city of Birmingham in central England receives its public water supply from a catchment in the Elan Valley, mid-Wales. Baseline and future climate projections generated from a stochastic weather generator within the United Kingdom Climate Projections 2009 and a daily soil water balance model ( WaSim) were used to determine the potential impacts of climate change on hydrologically effective rainfall ( HER). Annual HER is likely to decrease from baseline conditions (> 90% likelihood that HER will be reduced), with more frequent and persistent very dry spells and increasing seasonality. It is concluded that climate change will put additional stress on water resources for the city of Birmingham so that, coupled with expected increases in demand, adaptation measures to increase supply and/or reduce demand are likely to be needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims To explore how young people continue to access cigarettes following an increase of the age of sale to 18 years and the implications for future smoking prevention policy and practice. Design Qualitative study using 14 focus groups. Setting Schools and community projects in disadvantaged areas of Birmingham, UK. Participants Eighty-five smokers and non-smokers aged 12-15 years. Measurements Focus group topic guides. Findings While young people did use social sources to access cigarettes, most obtained cigarettes from small local shops. Smoking and non-smoking participants knew which shops sold to underage children and what strategies to employ, suggesting a widespread acceptance of underage sales in some communities. Some young people bought directly from retailers, reporting that the retailers did not ask for identification. Some young people reported that retailers were complicit, knowingly selling to underage smokers. Young people waited outside shops and asked strangers to buy them cigarettes (proxy sales). Young people expressed cynicism about some shopkeepers' motives, who they believed knew that they were selling to under-18s, but did not care as long as they made a profit. Conclusions The ban in selling cigarettes to those under 18 in the United Kingdom appears to be easily circumvented, and one important route appears to be 'proxy sales' in which young people approach strangers outside retailers and ask them to purchase cigarettes on their behalf. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bhati CS, Wigmore SJ, Reddy S, Mayer DA, Buckels JAC, Derek M, Mirza DF. Web-based image transmission: a novel approach to aid communication in split liver transplantation. Clin Transplant 2010: 24: 98–103. © 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Background: Split liver transplantation (SLT) is technically demanding and requires good communication between transplant centers. The recipient surgeon receiving a shipped split liver needs detailed information on allocation of inflow and outflow vessels. We describe the first use of an image transmission system to facilitate SLT. Methods: Twenty cadaver livers undergoing ex situ splitting were studied. Fifteen were shared between the geographically separate Birmingham adult and pediatric centers and five were shared with other UK centers. Results: A total of six to eight images of each split graft were taken with a camera at standardized settings using the National Organ Retrieval Imaging System (NORIS), showing details of appearance, size, and anatomy of allocated inflow and outflow vessels. These were uploaded using a personal digital assistant to a secure website ( ). The remote recipient surgeon then viewed these images by logging onto the password-protected website. Minimum time interval between division of the hilar vessels and completion of the split procedure was two h, allowing remote surgeon to view their allocated “shipped” graft in advance of commencing surgery. Conclusion: This advanced yet simple image transmission system has the potential for routine application in transplant surgery, not only for splitting but also for reporting injuries and graft steatosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In phenylketonuria (PKU), protein substitute is an essential part of dietary treatment. Short-term studies have demonstrated that liquid protein substitutes (LPS) are efficacious, and improve compliance in teenagers and adults with PKU, although there are no data available to demonstrate that their effectiveness is sustained over time. The present retrospective study aimed to evaluate the long-term efficacy of ready-to-drink protein substitute in a group of people with PKU. Methods: Thirty-four patients (17 females and 17 males, median age 14.9 years, range 7.2–53.8 years) with PKU on dietary management were recruited from Birmingham Children’s Hospital. All patients who were taking a LPS for a median of 2.4 years (range 6 months to 4.1 years), had their plasma phenylalanine concentrations, anthropometric and nutritional biochemical markers reviewed, both before and when taking the LPS. Results: There was a significant improvement in median plasma phenylalanine ( P < 0.05), vitamin B12 ( P < 0.01), calcium ( P < 0.05) and albumin ( P < 0.05) concentrations in subjects ( n = 13) aged >18 years when taking the LPS. In the children aged 7–18 years ( n = 21), median plasma phenylalanine concentrations were maintained on LPS. Their plasma selenium concentrations ( P < 0.05) deteriorated, but calcium ( P < 0.05), albumin ( P < 0.01), haemoglobin ( P < 0.01) and haematocrit ( P < 0.01) significantly improved. Conclusions: This retrospective review suggested that, in adult patients, the long-term use of LPS is associated with better compliance by lowering blood phenylalanine and improving nutritional biochemical markers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on a 2-week experiment on dissolved organic matter (DOM) at Bournbrook River in Birmingham, England. Its objective is to present an hourly resolution of DOM character and concentration by measuring spectrophotometric, physiochemical, electrical conductivity, and isotopic parameters of the river. The results of the study had sub-daily variations in both organic matter concentration and characteristics. Moreover, it shows that after relatively high-magnitude precipitation events organic carbon concentration increased with simultaneous increase in intensity of both humic-like and tryptopham-like fluorescence.

Presents a list of events related to medical field to be held in several countries from August 2003 to June 2004. Venue of the International Conference on Hypertension., Diabetes, Lipids and Preventive Cardiology to be held from August 1, 2003 to August 3, 2003; Contact information for the Diabetic UK conference to be held on November 11, 2003; Schedule of the Diabetes UK Professional Conference to be held in Birmingham, England.

This article uses the concept of institutional thickness to describe key features of the local governance of economic development. For this purpose, a methodology for the empirical assessment of institutional thickness is developed and applied to the case of Birmingham, England. The results from this empirical analysis are threefold. First, they make it possible to draw some conclusions on the role that local governments can play to promote local economic development. Second, they suggest that institutional thickness is a useful organizing concept for analyses of the local governance of economic development. Finally, they demonstrate the value of a verifiable and replicable methodology for the detection and measurement of local institutional conditions and of governance arrangements. Résumé Cet article s'appuie sur le concept d'épaisseur institutionnelle pour décrire les aspects essentiels de la gouvernance locale en matière de développement économique. Pour ce faire, on a développé une méthodologie afin d'évaluer empiriquement l'épaisseur institutionnelle et de l'appliquer au cas britannique de Birmingham. Les résultats de cette analyse empirique sont de trois ordres: d'abord, ils permettent de tirer des conclusions sur le rôle potentiel des gouvernements locaux dans la promotion du développement économique local; ensuite, ils suggèrent que l'épaisseur institutionnelle constitue un concept d'organisation utile pour analyser la gouvernance locale du développement économique. Pour finir, ils démontrent la valeur d'une méthodologie vérifiable et reproductible si l'on veut repérer et mesurer les situations institutionnelles locales et les dispositifs de gouvernance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the annual general meetings held by the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) in April 2005. Topics discussed during the BSAVA annual general meeting; Events held during the BSAVA Ltd. annual general meeting; Plans for the 2006 meeting.

This article draws on critiques of ‘global cities’ to conceptualize Birmingham, the UK's second largest metropole, as a ‘global’ city by highlighting forms of economic globalization that draw on the city's residents, their histories and their social and cultural networks. The article illustrates some of the diversity and significance of minority ethnic economic activity within Birmingham and the potential this holds for its future economic development, focusing on examples from three transnational networks (Chinese business networks, ethnic food manufacturing and the Bhangra music industry). The article signals a rather different understanding of ‘global’ as it relates to economic advantage, transnationalism and ethnic diversity within cities in general, and Birmingham in particular. We suggest that this different understanding of the global has important policy implications, not simply in terms of economic representations of the city, but also in terms of developing the possibilities of such transnational networks and engaging with the constraints facing them. We argue that encouraging a more relational way of thinking about cities like Birmingham has the potential for advancing social wellbeing by influencing socio-economic policy and practice. We use the example of Birmingham, therefore, to engage broader debates about alternative paths of ‘global’ economic, social and cultural investment for UK (and other) cities. A partir de critiques des ‘villes planétaires’, cet article conceptualise Birmingham (deuxième métropole britannique) en tant que ville ‘planétaire’ en soulignant les formes de mondialisation économique qui s’appuient sur les citadins, leurs histoires et leurs réseaux sociaux et culturels. Pour illustrer en partie la diversité et la place de l’activitééconomique ethnique des minorités à Birmingham, ainsi que le potentiel afférent pour son essor économique futur, ce travail s’intéresse à des exemples issus de trois réseaux transnationaux (réseaux d’affaires chinois, fabrication d’alimentation ethnique et secteur de la musique indienne Bhangra). Il repère une compréhension assez différente de ‘planétaire’, selon que le terme est liéà un avantage économique, au transnationalisme et à la diversité ethnique au sein des grandes villes, et de Birmingham en particulier. Cette perception multiple a d’importantes implications politiques, à la fois au plan des représentations économiques de la ville et en termes de création de possibilités pour ces réseaux transnationaux et de prise en compte des contraintes à affronter. Encourager un mode de réflexion plus relationnelà l’égard de villes comme Birmingham permettrait de promouvoir le bien-être social en influant sur la pratique et la politique socio-économique. Le cas de Birmingham sert donc à lancer des débats plus larges sur les options d’acheminement de l’investissement économique, social et culturel ‘planétaire’ pour les grandes villes britanniques (et étrangères). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores some issues concerning the development and implementation of mental deficiency as an organising principle of state education policy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. More specifically, and using the city of Birmingham as a case study, it explores three themes. First, it provides a critical narrative of policymaking at the local level with the emphasis on governance and the politics of knowledge. Second, it engages with emerging debates around the processes of identification and diagnosis of children deemed in need of special schooling. Third, it employs both descriptive and inferential statistical models to realise some issues about the impact of diagnosis on the immediate life chances of those identified as mentally deficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence of cooperation and trust between competing economic agents is taken for granted by much of the literature on industrial districts. This article explores the structure of the Birmingham jewellery‐making district and the problems created by the opportunistic behaviour of many of its members. Archival sources show that the district was plagued by endemic dishonesty and that proximity did not generate trust and cooperation. The absence of barriers to entry into the trade created a district where social sanctions could not be used to reduce moral hazard. All these factors threatened to destroy the district during the crisis of the 1880s. The article shows how firms joined together to create the Birmingham Jewellers Association, to establish and enforce 'rules of the game', with the aim of reducing transaction costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Homeless people have greater health care needs than those who are housed, yet often experience difficulty in accessing health care. Evidence suggests that the attitudes of doctors can create significant barriers to health care for homeless people. Methods A validated structured questionnaire, the Attitudes Towards the Homeless Questionnaire (ATHQ), was posted to a year group of 211 medical students 2 weeks prior to their starting at the University of Birmingham in 1997, and again during their final clinical placement 5 years later. The results were explored in more depth through semistructured interviews with the 12 students displaying the greatest degree of attitude change. Results The response rates for the 1997 and 2002 surveys were 80% and 82%, respectively, with an overall response rate of 65% of eligible students. The mean ATHQ scores for the 2 time periods were 76·3 and 74·7 (mean difference = 1·66 ± 0·8, paired t test = 2·07, P = 0·04), indicating that attitudes had become more negative during the 5-year period. Semistructured interviews highlighted the importance of professional socialisation and clinical contact on attitude development. Conclusion This study suggests that medical students may hold more negative attitudes towards homeless people at the end of their undergraduate course than they do at the beginning of it. Medical schools may need to address this area of health care more directly in the undergraduate curriculum if tomorrow's doctors are to treat all patients equally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, I set out to explain cross-national variations between styles of ethnic minority incorporation in the conventional political systems of British and French cities. To this aim, I draw inspiration from, and refine, institutionalist approaches to minority participation. I focus on a comparison of two cases, Birmingham (England) and Lille (France). I construct a parsimonious explanatory framework focused on three institutional factors: central-local relations in each country and local party politics and styles of local government in each city. I argue that these elements combine in different ways in each country to produce different local political environments for the politics of ethnic minorities, thereby shaping patterns of participation and conditioning their success, or absence thereof, in the electoral process of cities. Because of local specificities, my two cases are not entirely representative of other cities, but they provide an illustration of the political processes at work in most cities. In Birmingham, minorities participate successfully in Labour party politics, while in Lille, they are submitted to persistent political exclusion at the hands of a powerful Socialist party machine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Sport promotes integration': this idea seems to be commonly accepted both in France and in the UK, even though the authorities in each country see the issue of 'ethnic minorities' very differently. This article draws on research based on interviews with the main actors of 'socio-sports' policies in the cities of Lyon and Birmingham and on analysis of consultation procedures and official documents, to show that sport provides a set of symbolic markers that helps the authorities, professionals and 'ethnic minorities' to get their bearings in an uncertain multicultural situation. Although 'ethnic minorities' try to control the direction of sports policies in pursuit of their own objectives, their strategies tend to be 'routinized' around markers legitimized by the authorities in response to the success of certain sporting practices. Sports policies, therefore, promote 'security' of identity for these 'minorities' by 'mapping' their environment using the values and principles of sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After a decade of uncertainty, a new form of training for probation officers, separate from social work training, was established by the New Labour government in 1997. This article deals with the development of the academic contribution – a BA Community Justice – to the Diploma in Probation Studies at the University of Birmingham, one of nine universities contracted nationally to deliver the new qualification. It sets the new award in the context of the history of probation training at the University of Birmingham, and explores how the personal beliefs and experiences of the author have shaped his teaching on it. As such, it seeks to contribute to the under-explored area of how criminology is taught in higher education, how it might be shaped to suit the needs of trainee probation officers, and to add a new chapter to established histories of probation training. The article was written to celebrate the graduation of the first cohort of newly trained officers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides an overview of a detailed study of a consultation service for children with severe and/or intractable speech and language difficulties at the Speech Therapy Clinical Unit of the University of Central England in Birmingham. Multidisciplinary, in-depth assessment of such children to speech and language therapists, parents and other professions involved in their management; Analysis of documentary materials; Development of a model of the process of assessment and consultation.

Discusses a pilot study at the University of Central England in Birmingham which aims to employ a qualitative research methodology to explore students' perceptions of learning and assessment of that learning whilst on clinical placement. Students' perceptions sampled by questionnaire both pre- and post-placement; Analysis of data using principles from Grounded Theory; Categories and bipolar paradigms relating to learning and assessment.

Evaluates the inter- and intra-rater reliability of a locally developed pediatric speech and language therapy outcome measure, the Northern Birmingham Outcome Measures (NBOM), immediately after 15 speech and language therapists (SLT) had participated in training then after a period of time. Higher level of reliability of SLT who have received more than the basic orientation training; Scaling definition, protocols and anchor stimuli.

Focuses on several proposed topics for courses and workshops to be conducted during 17th Congress of the European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology in Birmingham, England in June 1998. Role of immunoglobulin E in disease; Asthma management; Hypersensitivity pneumonitis.

Presents information on the topics to be discussed during the 17th Congress of the European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology to be held in Birmingham, England in June 1998. Influence of genetics and the environment on allergic disease; Developments in allergen biotechnology; Ontogeny of antigen-presenting cells.

Explores the background and implementation of a project in which school students in Birmingham, England researched in the factors which affect the decision to remain at school or leave at 16. Concerns on equity and access to higher education; Critique of the method of students as researchers focusing upon issues of organization, time, equity, research style and clashing cultures.

This case study re-examines the history of Cadbury, the British-based chocolate confectionery manufacturer, to give an insight into the relationship between strategies of diversification, adoption of a multidivisional structure, and culture in relation to labour management. During the 1960s Cadbury undertook diversification, divisionalization and merger, all of which were affected by, and had an effect upon the Cadbury culture developed at the Bournville factory in Birmingham, England. Contemporaneous documentary evidence, especially the Cadbury board minutes, are used to question the prevalent view, mostly based on retrospective interviews with managers, that cultural change was the outcome of intended management strategies. Instead it is argued that the dilution of the Cadbury culture was the unintended consequence of diversification and divisionalization rather than a conscious abandonment on the part of a new generation of Cadbury directors or the influence of Schweppes after the merger with Cadbury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of 98 progressive addition lens (PAL) wearers was undertaken using both mailed questionnaires and by assessing patient records. Statistical analysis was undertaken to investigate the nature and dependant variables of a PAL population. The PAL patients were from the Aston University undergraduate optometric clinic. Social survey techniques, such as the use of personalized mail, first-class stamps, and follow-up letters, were employed to produce a high return rate for the questionnaire. The number of returned questionnaires reached 89.9 % of those originally sent which may be considered to be highly representative. The clinical survey showed the success rate for the undergraduate clinic to be either 85.7% or 80.6% depending upon the criterion for successful wear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]