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Participatory research is a broad term covering a range of approaches that are characterised by a focus on "action-oriented" research involving researchers and participants working in collaboration to bring about positive change. These approaches emphasise engagement with co-researchers and the development and implementation of context-appropriate strategies that seek to empower and transform at a number of levels. This article explores the dynamics of a multi-agency and multinational research programme that investigated the working practices of specialist teachers of children with visual impairment in Uganda and Kenya. The research utilised a range of participatory methods, including workshops and a dedicated practice journal, to provide opportunities for participants to record information about their practice and share their experiences with colleagues. The article analyses the effectiveness of the approach, with a particular focus on the "relational praxis" between the project partners. This analysis highlights the complex nature of the collaborative relationships when research is transnational and operates across cultural, social and environmental contexts. Considerations are offered for research design in this area. (Contains 2 tables.)

This article presents a findings from an investigation of the work of 38 specialist itinerant teachers (ITs) supporting the educational inclusion of children with visual impairment in Kenya. The research was designed around a participatory action research framework involving in-country researchers and participants (teachers) working in collaboration with researchers in the United Kingdom. Following an introductory training workshop, participants kept research journals over a 2-month period in which they recorded details of their itinerant duties (including the processes and content of their visits). Findings provide information about local practices of ITs support for children with visual impairment in mainstream schools and raise broader questions about the barriers to learning and development facing children with disabilities in mainstream schools in Kenya and other developing countries. (Contains 3 tables.)

This article discusses "My UniSpace", an innovative project which involves undergraduate students in a British university mentoring online pupils aged 14-18 who are studying languages. The project was funded by Routes into Languages, an initiative aimed at increasing take-up in modern languages. "My UniSpace" offers pupils (mentees) the opportunity to develop their skills in the target language and to receive support in preparing for their language examinations by working with university student mentors, whilst at the same time allowing them to find out more about higher education. It also seeks to give the mentors themselves the chance to develop their own communication skills, which might enhance their future employability. The article outlines the advantages of e-mentoring for widening participation in languages and how "My UniSpace" was set up. It then evaluates its effectiveness after its second year of operation in the light of feedback from the participants and by considering the documented exchanges that took place. Finally, it considers lessons that might be learnt to ensure that e-mentoring relationships in languages have a high chance of being successful. (Contains 1 note and 2 tables.)

This article reports on the development of online problem-based learning case scenarios for use in a distance education program for teachers of students with visual impairments in the United Kingdom. Following participation in two case scenarios, a cohort of teachers provided feedback. This feedback was analyzed in relation to the relevant literature, and key areas for future development were identified. (Contains 5 tables.)

Using the five-stage model of skill acquisition originally proposed by Dreyfus and Dreyfus (1986), this study investigates the professional development of Rehabilitation Workers (RWs) in the UK through analysis of their practice in training people with a vision impairment in the area of orientation and mobility. From interviews with RWs a clearer picture has emerged of the lack of professional development opportunities and the access to the knowledge of others required to facilitate progression from Novice to Expert in this specialized profession. (Contains 4 figures and 1 note.)

Dotted Moon is a useful and important resource to complement the range of options available to those teaching and learning Moon. Observation of a variety of Moon readers (including those at early stages of literacy as well as more advanced readers) showed that all participants were able to decode dotted Moon characters and engage in educational activities using dotted Moon at their developmental level and no conclusive evidence was found of any of the participants finding the dotted Moon harder (or easier) to decode than lined Moon. While professionals involved in the teaching of Moon expressed some concern about the potential of dotted Moon, in particular about the quality of some of the characters, there was little evidence to support this from observations made of Moon readers. The technical system used in the project combines an Enabling Technology braille embosser and Duxbury braille translation software. This set-up could be improved further if the software incorporated a Moon font to enable users to more easily edit Moon documents. Other setups available allow the control of spacing and size of the embossed characters, and these are also worthy of further investigation. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)

This article reports on work undertaken within Phase 2 of a pilot study concerned with the design, development, and evaluation of online resources. Drawing on recent developments in the application of technology within open and distance education, these resources were structured around the principles of problem-based learning (PBL) for use with postgraduate teachers. The article explores the responses of one cohort of students studying on a programme for teachers of children with visual impairment, to learning through the use of these resources. In line with recent literature in this area, the findings demonstrate that with the appropriate design and use of technology, PBL, traditionally viewed as a campus-based approach, can be adapted for use with students in higher education studying through open and distance education. The findings highlight a number of potential barriers to learning and participation that can serve to reduce effective participation in the online PBL activities. Future planned research by the authors will explore the extent to which each of these barriers can be reduced through appropriate planning and design, and provisional recommendations are included to assist in this process. (Contains 9 tables and 2 figures.)

Since at least 2012, UK housing providers (and policy makers) have introduced policies aimed at developing autonomy and independence among service users, through an agenda sometimes referred to as 'responsibilisation'. This paper considers the role that technologies play in this agenda, through an analysis of how wellbeing and independence are facilitated amongst older social housing tenants. Based on case studies of four supported housing schemes in England, the research considers the capacity to exercise agency amongst older persons, through their willingness and ability to accept technological interventions, and the role of support networks to facilitate independent living. Using the concept of modalities of agency, the research examines the impact of implementing 'low-level' assistive technologies in the home, based on the perspectives of residents and staff. The interventions studied were designed to improve social relationships, promote self-sufficiency and support self-managed care (based on the principle that the most effective projects facilitate individual agency). The research findings identified that residents responded differentially to technology, based on their levels of capability, motivation, reluctance and resistance. Whilst the study demonstrated that small technological innovations could have disproportionately positive impacts in improving wellbeing, the research demonstrates the complex nature of agency and limits of responsibility. The paper argues that responsibilisation is part of a wider neoliberal project, where choice and agency are manufactured to create an idealised notion of the autonomous actor (in this case through technology-enabled care). The article argues that a collaborative approach to service provision in which responsibility is shared, via co-managed care, is a more effective means of enhancing agency, than one which advocates a withdrawal of support (in the guise of autonomy). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distance education is a well-established medium for training specialist teachers of children with visual impairments at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. This article describes the background and organization of the program, analyzes its outcomes, and considers the challenges the program will face in the future. (Contains four references.) (Author/CR)

Objective: To compare the management and outcomes of women with placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) in France and the UK. Design: Two population‐based cohorts. Setting: All obstetrician‐led hospitals in the UK and maternity hospitals in eight French regions. Population: A cohort of 219 women with PAS in France and a cohort of 154 women with PAS in the UK. Methods: The management and outcomes of women with PAS were compared between the UK and France. Main outcome measures: Median blood loss, severe postpartum haemorrhage (≥3 l), postpartum infection and damage to surrounding organs. Results: The management of PAS differed between the two countries: a larger proportion of women with PAS in the UK had a caesarean hysterectomy compared with France (43% vs 26%, p < 0.001), whereas in France a larger proportion of women with PAS received a uterus‐preserving approach compared with the UK (36% vs 19%, p < 0.001). The total median blood loss in the UK was 3 l (IQR 1.7–6.5 l), compared with 1 l (IQR 0.5–2.5 l) in France; more women with PAS had a severe postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) in the UK compared with women with PAS in France (58% vs 21%, p < 0.001) [Correction added on 06 May 2022, after first online publication: '24 hour' has been changed to 'total' in the preceding sentence]. There was no difference between the UK and French populations for postpartum infection or organ damage. Conclusions: The UK and France have very different approaches to managing PAS, with more women in France receiving a uterine‐conserving approach and more women in the UK undergoing caesarean hysterectomy. A life‐threatening haemorrhage was more common in the UK than in France, which may be the result of differential management and/or the organisation of the healthcare systems. In women with placenta accreta spectrum, severe haemorrhage was more common in the UK than in France. In women with placenta accreta spectrum, severe haemorrhage was more common in the UK than in France. In women with placenta accreta spectrum, severe haemorrhage was more common in the UK than in France. Linked article: This article is commented on by Amarnath Bhide, pp. 1686 in this issue. To view this minicommentary visit https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.17170. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic led to lockdowns in countries across the world, changing the lives of billions of people. The United Kingdom’s first national lockdown, for example, restricted people’s ability to socialize and work. The current study examined how changes to socializing and working during this lockdown impacted ongoing thought patterns in daily life. We compared the prevalence of thought patterns between two independent real-world, experience-sampling cohorts, collected before and during lockdown. In both samples, young (18 to 35 y) and older (55+ y) participants completed experience-sampling measures five times daily for 7 d. Dimension reduction was applied to these data to identify common “patterns of thought.” Linear mixed modeling compared the prevalence of each thought pattern 1) before and during lockdown, 2) in different age groups, and 3) across different social and activity contexts. During lockdown, when people were alone, social thinking was reduced, but on the rare occasions when social interactions were possible, we observed a greater increase in social thinking than prelockdown. Furthermore, lockdown was associated with a reduction in future-directed problem solving, but this thought pattern was reinstated when individuals engaged in work. Therefore, our study suggests that the lockdown led to significant changes in ongoing thought patterns in daily life and that these changes were associated with changes to our daily routine that occurred during lockdown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policy makers across the political spectrum have extolled the virtues of volunteering in achieving social policy aims. Yet little is known about the role that volunteering plays in addressing one of the significant challenges of an ageing population: the provision of care and support to people with dementia. We combine organisational survey data, secondary social survey data, and in-depth interviews with people with dementia, family carers and volunteers in order to better understand the context, role and challenges in which volunteers support people with dementia. Social policies connecting volunteering and dementia care in homes and communities often remain separate and disconnected and our paper draws on the concept of policy 'assemblages' to suggest that dementia care is a dynamic mixture of formal and informal volunteering activities that bridge and blur traditional policy boundaries. Linking home and community environments is a key motivation, benefit and outcome for volunteers, carers and those living with dementia. The paper calls to widen the definition and investigation of volunteering in social policy to include and support informal volunteering activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Establishing how to effectively manufacture cell therapies is an industry-level problem. Decentralised manufacturing is of increasing importance, and its challenges are recognised by healthcare regulators with deviations and comparability issues receiving specific attention from them. This paper is the first to report the deviations and other risks encountered when implementing the expansion of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) in an automated three international site–decentralised manufacturing setting. An experimental demonstrator project expanded a human embryonal carcinoma cell line (2102Ep) at three development sites in France, Germany and the UK using the CompacT SelecT (Sartorius Stedim, Royston, UK) automated cell culture platform. Anticipated variations between sites spanned material input, features of the process itself and production system details including different quality management systems and personnel. Where possible, these were pre-addressed by implementing strategies including standardisation, cell bank mycoplasma testing and specific engineering and process improvements. However, despite such measures, unexpected deviations occurred between sites including software incompatibility and machine/process errors together with uncharacteristic contaminations. Many only became apparent during process proving or during the process run. Further, parameters including growth rate and viability discrepancies could only be determined post-run, preventing 'live' corrective measures. The work confirms the critical nature of approaches usually taken in Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) manufacturing settings and especially emphasises the requirement for monitoring steps to be included within the production system. Real-time process monitoring coupled with carefully structured quality systems is essential for multiple site working including clarity of decision-making roles. Additionally, an over-reliance upon post-process visual microscopic comparisons has major limitations; it is difficult for non-experts to detect deleterious culture changes and such detection is slow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Andexanet alfa was employed to reverse the anticoagulant effect of direct oral anticoagulants in 3 patients who required emergent surgery for repair of type A aortic dissection. Its use was instrumental in securing haemostasis. However, we caution against the administration of Andexanet alfa prior to cardiopulmonary bypass as it can induce heparin resistance and complicate the perioperative monitoring of anticoagulation during cardiopulmonary bypass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the politics behind high-rise housing and focuses on Glasgow, Scotland 's largest city, as a case study to explore and understand the impact and consequences of sustained disinvestment in social housing. In recent decades there has been much investment on a global scale in high-rise living, while dominant narratives that surround the discussion of social housing in the UK has denigrated high-rise blocks and mobilized negative narratives about the tenants they house. Stigma and polarization often lead to what is seen as the only solution: demolition. However, the process of demolition is highly political, contextualized and highlights the classed nature of urban policy and of housing provision. This directly shapes the increasingly polarized landscapes of inequality which have become so pronounced in UK urban areas. The paper makes reference to the Grenfell Tower tragedy in London in 2017 and the case of the Red Roads flats demolition in Glasgoiv to highlight the wider issues within the politics of social housing, the impact and consequences of sustained disinvestment in social housing and the inequality experienced within the social and geographical landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Partnership working in the welfare state has moved from the margins to the mainstream in terms of achieving policy objectives. Drawing on interdisciplinary theoretical and empirical developments in the field, this article presents a framework for analyzing welfare partnerships that give precedence to the issues of trust and interdependence. This article presents findings from a study of local authority museum services in Scotland, England and Wales to test this framework. A series of case studies revealed that partnerships have been driven by a number of factors including policy, power, funding and people. Partnerships could gain services credibility, but trust and interdependence were compromised by conflictual and unequal relationships. Partnerships were often short term, lacked ongoing maintenance plans and limited by their type of funding. The article proposes that further analysis of the level of individual agency at ground level be considered when thinking about partnerships in the cultural sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the English Civil Wars religious reformers forced thousands of clergy from their livings. Despite recent scholarship stressing the central role of religion in the conflict, analysis of clerical trials and ejections has not yet been fully integrated into the historiography of civil war. The most complete set of surviving records for exploring this process are those of the parliamentary committee for Leicester. This study analyses these records to determine the motivations for ejections in Leicestershire. By taking a holistic picture of the evidence surrounding some cases, it calls into question previous assumptions, often made on the basis of articles of accusations alone, about the morality or religious persuasion of those ejected. Instead, it demonstrates that political considerations drove sequestrations, that the conditions of war exacerbated pre-existing social, economic, and religious tensions within the county, as the desire for retribution for war-time losses found in the loyalist clergy a convenient target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Teenage pregnancy is a known social problem which has been previously described using a number of deprivation measures. This study aimed to explore the temporal patterns of teenage pregnancy in Aberdeen, Scotland and to assess the discriminating ability of three measures of socioeconomic status. Methods: This was a population-based study from 1950 to 2010, using data from the Aberdeen Maternity Neonatal Databank (AMND). The main outcome variable was conceptions occurring in women aged less than 20 years. This study used two area-based measures, the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) and the Carstairs index, and one individual-based measure the Social Class based on Occupation (SCO). These measures were compared for their association with teenage conceptions using logistic regression models. The models were used to determine receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves showing the discriminating ability of the measures. Results: There was an overall decline in teenage conceptions over the 60-year period, but an increase in the rate ratio for deprived areas. All the measures of socioeconomic status were highly associated with teenage pregnancy. The adjusted OR of SIMD and teenage conception was 5.72 (95% CI 4.62 to 7.09), which compared the most deprived decile with the least deprived decile. The use of ROC curves showed that socioeconomic measures performed better than chance at determining teenage conceptions (χ2=21.67, p≤0.0001). They further showed that the SIMD had the largest area under the curve (AUC) with a value of 0.81 (95% CI 0.80 to 0.82), followed by the Carstairs index with an AUC of 0.80 (95% CI 0.78 to 0.80), then by SCO with an AUC of 0.79 (95% CI 0.78 to 0.80). Conclusions: Despite a slight decline in teenage pregnancies over the past decades, there is still an evident association between deprivation and teenage pregnancy. This study shows that all the measures of socioeconomic status were highly associated with teenage pregnancy, with the SIMD having the greatest discriminatory effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the management literature, there is an emergent discourse on horizontal collaboration among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), whereby individual rivalries are overcome by the need for more resources and innovation, leading to increased competitiveness through joint product development. In particular, a number of these horizontal collaborations between SMEs have occurred within the agri-food sector. As a consequence, this article aims to explore the longitudinal development of horizontal innovation networks within an artisan bakers’ network as part of the UK SME agri-food sector. An interpretivist research approach was used, whereby the development and evolution of an artisan bakers’ horizontal network was studied over a 27-month period. The findings, as summarised in conceptual models which draw upon knowledge-based open innovation and social network constructs, illustrate that a complex three-stage life cycle development occurred within the bakers’ horizontal network. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The widening of roles and expectations within cultural policy discourses has been a challenge to museum workers throughout Great Britain. There has been an expectation that museums are changing from an ‘old’ to a ‘new museology’ that has shaped museum functions and roles. This paper outlines the limitations of this perceived transition as museum services confront multiple exogenous and endogenous expectations, opportunities, pressures and threats. Findings from 23 publically funded museum services across England, Scotland and Wales are presented to explore the roles of professional and hierarchical differentiation, and how there were organisational and managerial limitations to the practical application of the ‘new museology’. The ambiguity surrounding policy, roles and practice also highlighted that museum workers were key agents in interpreting, using and understanding wide-ranging policy expectations. The practical implementation of the ‘new museology’ is linked to the values held by museum workers themselves and how they relate it to their activities at the ground level. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Summary: Objectives: To construct new prostate cancer staging lookup tables based on a dataset collated by the British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) and to validate them and compare their predictive power with Partin tables. Patients and methods: Complete data on 1701 patients was collated between 1999 and 2008 across 57 UK centres. Lookup tables were created for prediction of pathological stage (PS) using PSA level, biopsy Gleason score (GS) and clinical stage, replicating Partin''s original approach. Tables were generated using logistic regression (LR) and bootstrap resampling methods and were internally validated and externally validated using concordance indices (CI) and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) respectively. Results: The CI and AUROC analyses indicate that Partin tables performed poorly on UK data in comparison with US data. The UK prostate cancer tables performed better than Partin tables but the predictive power of all models was relatively poor. Conclusion: The study shows that the predictive power of Partin tables is reduced when applied to the UK population. Models generated using LR methodology have fundamental limitations, and we suggest alternative modelling methods such as Bayesian networks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In 2007 the Scottish Government introduced an outcomes based approach to culture set within a National Performance Framework. One of the main data sources to measure “culture” in Scotland is the Scottish Household Survey (SHS). In this article, the SHS and its “Culture and Sport” Module are explored to show how useful the data is within the Scottish Government's economic agenda. This way, the paper reflects on the usefulness of the main data source used to understand cultural activity within Scotland. There are general difficulties measuring “culture”, but overall the SHS provides adequate national data for Scotland on cultural participation and attendance. However, the SHS cannot provide in-depth local level information and provides limited data on non-participants. Other surveys in Scotland and England give some example practices that could be incorporated to improve survey outcomes. Overall, the SHS is a useful policy tool but more could be done to utilise the data it can provide on the Scottish cultural sector. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In post-devolution Scotland, New Labour added to the role of 'culture' by introducing ideas of social inclusion to policies concerning cultural services. Ten years later, with the Scottish National Party (SNP) minority government in the Scottish Parliament, do policy makers think social inclusion still has a role within cultural services? This article shows that policy makers' understandings of 'culture' and social inclusion are vague, general and complex. This has encouraged policy makers to think of cultural services as resources to fulfil wider economic and social objectives. At the sametime, cultural services are placed at an individual level, with cultural services seen as 'generators of wellbeing', rather than agents of social change. Social inclusion and cultural meanings are linked to individualistic causes of poverty and related to the SNP's economic focus in Scotland. This complexity impacts on the interpretation and implementation of policy and has resulted in the cultural agenda being seen as less of a priority within the new SNP administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the significance of human behavior to the success of a retailing business, as can be explained by the Savannah Hypothesis of Shopping. This discussion is part of the ongoing nature versus nurture debate in Great Britain. The objective is to explore whether female and male shopping styles are significantly different between different cultural contexts as the first step to proving that shopping behavior is determined by evolution. The results could help retailers determine the underlying causes of gender shopping styles.

This article reports the findings of a one-year project designed to investigate the use of low vision aids (LVAs) with children aged 5-i6 who have multiple disabilities, including visual impairment (MDVI), in the United Kingdom. Within stage 1 of the study, a national survey of schools and services where children who have MDVI are educated was undertaken. The results showed that of those children supported by VI schools and services responding to the survey, over one third (36%) were described as having MDVI. Of these children, 6% were reported as using 'optical' LVAs (i.e., reading stand, task lighting etc.). Follow-up interviews were undertaken within stage 2 of the study with selected respondents in order to explore their rationale for 'use'/'non-use' of LVAs with different children who have MDVI. A range of factors were indentified and are reported within a broad educational framework of 'indentifying need', 'meeting need', and 'evaluating effectiveness'. The findings of the study provide evidence to suggest that LVAs are not being fully utilized with children who have MDVI and an agenda for further research and development is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ContextResearch on the factors affecting progress in medical schools has typically focused on mainstream (non-Indigenous Australian, non-international) students in traditional, didactic programmes. These results may not be applicable to students, particularly those from culturally diverse backgrounds, undertaking problem-based learning courses. ObjectiveThis study used qualitative methodology to explore and compare factors affecting progress for mainstream Australian students (non-Indigenous Australian, non-international) and international students (full fee-paying students who had relocated countries to study) in a problem-based learning medical course. Intervention strategies were devised on the basis of the participants’ experiences. MethodsSix focus group discussions were conducted (three with mainstream Australian and three with international participants). Transcripts of these discussions were coded and analysed independently by two researchers and discussed until consensus was attained. ResultsParticipants identified both positive and negative experiences related to the course structure, which were consistent with previous findings. The participants’ experiences demonstrated a relationship between sense of ‘belongingness’ to the medical school community, participation in learning opportunities and progress through the course. ConclusionsThe results suggest that interventions aimed at reducing barriers to progress need to promote students’ confidence, motivation and subsequent participation in course learning opportunities. These results have application to other problem-based learning courses particularly those which face the challenge of providing an optimal learning environment for students from diverse backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses issues on medical research that were included in campaigns of political parties during the general election on May 7, 2015 in Great Britain. Topics mentioned include key priorities of political parties for medical research such as big data, personalized medicine, and translation of scientific advances into patient benefit, development of immigration policy to attract foreign research talents to the country, and focus on improving the allocation of budget for research.

Analyzes issues surrounding euthanasia in Great Britain. Achievement of morally sensitive compromise in euthanasia laws; Social and philosophical background of the law on euthanasia in the 20th century; Impact of increased secularization of society; Emphasis on private choice; Limits to treatments offered to patients; Scope of the law of non-treatment.

The article offers information related to various proposals from leaders of the European Union (EU) to Great Britain related to health care and life sciences in response to the upcoming exit of the country from the EU. It mentions insight from several leaders in some British and EU organisations about the need for discussion on health care, pharmaceuticals, and life science in preparation for Brexit who include Niall Dickson, Hugo Fry, and Matt Hancock.

The article presents the report titled 'The Autism Dividend: Reaping the Rewards of Better Investment,' from the National Autism Project (NAP) in Great Britain in 2017. Topics discussed include medical research, autism services and research, and social and communication difficulties in the management of the general health of people with autism.

The article highlights the achievements of the Medical Research Council (MRC) of Great Britain which is celebrating its centennary in June 2013. The MRC started as the Medical Research Committee and Advisory Council on June 20, 1913. Keith Peters, emeritus professor of physics at Cambridge University, considers the MRC as the most successful research funding agency in the world.

The article offers information on the support services designed for the development of practice manager workforce. It mentions that the National Health Service (NHS) Clinical Governance Support Team offers the Primary Care Management Development Programme (PCMDP) which provides online courses for practice managers. It states that the Royal College of General Pracitioners (RCGP) has launched the General Practice Foundation which supports the needs of practice managers in Great Britain.

The article reports on the concerns on the increasing population of the children living in poverty in Great Britain, citing the need for the country's welfare policy reform. Topics discussed include the threat on the health problems associated with the living status of the children, the studies on the association between poverty and health as well as its implication to mental health, and the links between mortality in infants and children and child poverty.

The author reflects on the impact of Version 4 Health Resource Groups (HRG4) as the central source of support of Payment by Results (PbR). It is said that PbR implementation demands greater accuracy since hospital funding largely depends on the number of health care interventions undertaken. Error issues related to PbR data quality are also presented. The author stresses the need for proper training of coding staff since workload increase due to HRG4 would likely result to documentation errors.

International tourism to tropical and sub-tropical areas, both to resource-poor and developed countries, has almost trebled within the past 20 years. We examined the records of patients referred to the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine over 6 years. 46 (63%) of infestations originated in the UK. Ticks were most common in the UK (19 cases, 41%) whereas myiasis was most common in travellers (18 cases, 67%). These records suggest that whereas many overseas acquired infestations are potentially dangerous if infections are transmitted, ticks constitute the greatest risk, and both domestic and exotic species may act as disease vectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Editorial. Reports that the ethics committee of the 'British Medical Journal' is open for business. Reasons why the committee was formed; Decision to keep manuscripts under discussion confidential, anonymising them to protect the author's privacy; Summary of cases that led to the development of the committee.

Editorial. Discusses the implications of punitive measures taken against children who commit homicide. Case in Great Britain in which two ten-year-olds committed murder; Prison sentence that they received; Indications that rehabilitation of criminals is the best way to protect society; Reasons that children should be carefully rehabilitated; Characteristics of children who commit murder.

The author focuses on chemsex trend in Great Britain and its status as a public health priority. Topics mentioned include the concept of chemsex as intentional sex under the influence of psychoactive drugs, barriers facing chemsex drug users from accessing health services such as shame and stigma, and the need to create centres of excellence for sexual health and drug services in the country.

The article focuses on the promotion of translational medicine by Great Britain's Centre for the Advancement of Sustainable Medical Innovation (CASMI). CASMI's director Richard Barker was hoping that the major societal problems of the 21st century will be addressed by CASMI. It says that driving change in the regulatory processes was being aimed by CASMI.