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Oral language development is a key outcome of elementary school, and it is important to identify factors that predict it most effectively. Commonly researchers use ordinary least squares regression with conclusions restricted to average performance conditional on relevant covariates. Quantile regression offers a more sophisticated alternative. Using data of 17,687 children from the United Kingdom's Millennium Cohort Study, we compared ordinary least squares and quantile models with language development (verbal similarities) at 11 years as the outcome. Gender had more of an effect at the top of the distribution, whereas poverty, early language, and reading to the child had a greater effect at the bottom. The picture for TV watching was more mixed. The results are discussed in terms of the provision of universal and targeted interventions.

Maternal education captured at a single time point is commonly employed as a predictor of a child's cognitive development. In this article, we ask what bearing the acquisition of additional qualifications has upon reading performance in middle childhood. This was a secondary analysis of the United Kingdom's Millennium Cohort Study, a cohort of 18,000 children born in 2000. Our outcome variable was Single-Word Reading from the British Abilities Scales at 7 years. Predictors included maternal age and education, relative poverty, and parity. Increasing maternal education over time was associated with improved child outcomes, with a 2-month developmental advantage for children whose mothers had increased education over those whose mothers had not. Parity was important but conditional on this, and there was no evidence of child attainment reducing for the children of older mothers. A time-varying education-level model is consistent with an input-quality mechanism for language development.

Background: Well-documented associations exist between socio-economic background and language ability in early childhood, and between educational attainment and language ability in children with clinically referred language impairment. However, very little research has looked at the associations between language ability, educational attainment and socio-economic background during adolescence, particularly in populations without language impairment. Aims: To investigate: (1) whether adolescents with higher educational outcomes overall had higher language abilities; and (2) associations between adolescent language ability, socio-economic background and educational outcomes, specifically in relation to Mathematics, English Language and English Literature GCSE grade. Method & Procedures: A total of 151 participants completed five standardized language assessments measuring vocabulary, comprehension of sentences and spoken paragraphs, and narrative skills and one nonverbal assessment when between 13 and 14 years old. These data were compared with the participants' educational achievement obtained upon leaving secondary education (16 years old). Univariate logistic regressions were employed to identify those language assessments and demographic factors that were associated with achieving a targeted A*-C grade in English Language, English Literature and Mathematics General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) at 16 years. Further logistic regressions were then conducted to examine further the contribution of socio-economic background and spoken language skills in the multivariate models. Results & Outcomes: Vocabulary, comprehension of sentences and spoken paragraphs, and mean length utterance in a narrative task along with socio-economic background contributed to whether participants achieved an A*-C grade in GCSE Mathematics and English Language and English Literature. Nonverbal ability contributed to English Language and Mathematics. The results of multivariate logistic regressions then found that vocabulary skills were particularly relevant to all three GCSE outcomes. Socio-economic background only remained important for English Language, once language assessment scores and demographic information were considered. Conclusions & Implications: Language ability, and in particular vocabulary, plays an important role for educational achievement. Results confirm a need for ongoing support for spoken language ability throughout secondary education and a potential role for speech and language therapy provision in the continuing drive to reduce the gap in educational attainment between groups from differing socio-economic backgrounds.

The need for research support in U.K. universities is growing at a fast pace and a number of different professional and academic units within universities are involved in the process. This case study takes place in a post-92 higher education institution and discusses the benefit of utilizing a cross-university Community of Practice (CoP) approach to delivering research support services. It takes a qualitative approach, using semi-structured interviews to ascertain the personal experiences of community members. The article's key findings for successful implementation include a common sense of purpose; a shared concern or passion about the research agenda; a sense of community and belonging; trust; a safe environment; and senior management support. Added benefit is demonstrated by enhanced staff knowledge, increased job satisfaction, and profile-raising of the Library and Learning Service. The findings can help libraries in similar positions to use collaborative initiatives to develop research support services.

Use of simulation is well established as a way of learning and assessing skills in vocational disciplines. In many institutions the use of simulation with student nurses is being tested as a way of helping them learn clinical skills, problem-solving, clinical assessment and decision-making. This paper explores the value of simulation as a learning tool through the presentation of findings from an evaluative research project into the use of simulation in nursing education. The focus of this paper is how students perceive that simulations help them learn and suggests that simulation may play a part in how students perceive learning that is meaningful to them. A literature review on the use of simulation is presented together with literature related to the learning theory that underpins simulation. The methodology, data collection and findings of the evaluative study are then presented followed by a discussion of the findings. Although the original research did not set out to examine how students perceived that simulations influenced their learning, the analysis indicated that this was a significant issue for them. Conclusions are drawn about how learning theory and simulation can be brought together to enhance student learning. (Contains 3 figures.)

Purpose: Understanding the long-term outcomes of developmental language difficulties is key to knowing what significance to attach to them. To date, most prognostic studies have tended to be clinical rather than population-based, which necessarily affects the interpretation. This study sought to address this issue using data from a U.K. birth cohort of 17,196 children, following them from school entry to adulthood, examining literacy, mental health, and employment at 34 years of age. The study compared groups with specific language impairment (SLI), nonspecific language impairment (N-SLI), and typically developing language (TL). Method: Secondary data analysis of the imputed 5-year and 34-year data was carried using multivariate logistic regressions. Results: The results show strong associations for demographic and biological risk for both impairment groups. The associations are consistent for the N-SLI group but rather more mixed for the SLI group. Conclusions: The data indicate that both SLI and N-SLI represent significant risk factors for all the outcomes identified. There is a strong case for the identification of these children and the development of appropriate interventions. The results are discussed in terms of the measures used and the implications for practice.

Objective: The present study aimed to assess the mental and physical health of children held within a British immigration detention center. Method: A total of 24 detained children (aged 3 months to 17 years) were assessed with their parents or carer after being referred by a registered legal charity. Thirteen were seen by a pediatrician alone, 4 by a psychologist alone, and 7 by both professions using semi-structured clinical interviews. The psychologist also used standardized self-report questionnaires to measure psychopathology. Results: During the psychological assessment of 11 children, 8 met criteria for psychiatric "caseness" on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. All 11 reported symptoms of depression and anxiety. Sleep problems, somatic complaints, poor appetite, emotional symptoms, and behavioral difficulties were common. Symptoms of global distress were also reported by all 9 parents. According to pediatric assessment 8 out of 20 children had lost weight. Six had missed health appointments and 2 were taken to hospital. Nutritional, developmental, educational, and child protection concerns were raised. Conclusions: Detained children were found to be experiencing mental and physical health difficulties of recent onset, which appeared to be related to the detention experience. These findings support previous Australian studies demonstrating that detention is not in the best interest of the child. It suggests that current UK policies regarding the detention of children for purposes of immigration control should be re-examined. Further research in the area is required. Practice implications: Although high levels of mental and physical health problems, as well as child protection concerns were detected, detained families had very limited access to appropriate assessment, support or treatment. The traumatic experience of detention itself also has implications for the sizeable proportion of psychologically distressed children who are eventually released from detention and expected to successfully reintegrate into British society; while those children who are deported are returned with increased vulnerability to future stressors. (Contains 3 tables.)

Purpose: This paper seeks to engage in an examination of "Quality in Business Education" (the QUBE project) with a specific brief to examine student involvement in the quality process. Design/methodology/approach: The work was carried out in conjunction with five partner institutions. The semantic distinctions between the terms "customer" and "consumer" subject to a detailed discussion. The paper examines the role of e-learning in facilitating and encouraging student engagement in course delivery and evaluation. Findings: One of the classic formulations in which consumers may react to the provision of services is provided by Hirschman's formulation of responses to the provision of services. Put simply, consumers may "vote with their feet" by choosing an alternative supplier of services that fits their need (exit). Another response is to articulate concerns vociferously in order to obtain redress or amelioration (voice). These traditional marketing concepts are then applied to the case of higher education. Originality/value: The paper suggests an explanation why the student voice does not achieve more prominence, given the possibilities offered by recent advances in ICT, and details some of the experiences of course delivery and evaluation in their own institution.

The term resilience is being more widely adopted in fire safety engineering, however, its comprehensive description is not clearly explained or correctly applied in practice. This study, therefore, defines the categories, dimensions, characteristics, capacities, objectives and missions possessed by resilience to provide a holistic understanding of the term. This is followed by an analysis and classification of the UK Standards and Codes addressing resilience considering their administrative and engineering features of resilience, and their resilience dimensions with definitions of fire resilience measures and approaches. A practical example of a fire resilience framework is applied in educational buildings considering internal resilience for a safe facility, risk reduction and disaster management, and external resilience involving redundancy of resources and community support. Finally, a fire resilience design framework is created in which structural and fire safety engineering are considered clarifying the steps to follow in a comprehensive design process based on a flow chart. This paper will contribute to the creation of a unified terminology and understanding of the concept linked to resilience to be adopted in various disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: End-of-life doulas are emerging as a potentially important new form of community-based caregiving in the global North, yet we know little about this form of care. The aim of our study was to solicit the perspective of key stakeholders and early innovators in community-based end-of-life care about the development and practices of end-of-life doulas. Methods: We conducted 22 semi-structured interviews with participants in four countries where end-of-life doulas are most active: Australia, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Findings: This article focuses on participants' description of the end-of-life doula role and attendant practices, and our findings provide the first detailed taxonomy of the end-of-life doula role and specific services on the basis of the perspective of subject experts in four countries. We situate our findings within literature on the professionalization of caregiving, with particular attention to nomenclature, role flexibility and boundary blurring, and explicit versus tacit knowledge. We also discuss the importance of jurisdictional considerations as the end-of-life doula movement develops. Discussion: We speculate that the end-of-life doula role is potentially experiencing common developmental antecedents similar to other now-professionalized forms of caregiving. Our findings contribute substantial new information to the small body of empirical research about the end-of-life doula role and practices, provide critical firsthand insight as the movement develops, and are the first research to explore end-of-life doulas from a comparative international perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I assess a novel rule that was introduced in the UK in 2015. It gave the British government fiscal flexibility whenever GDP growth warranted it. This rule lasted just a year, but it had features worth exploring. I apply solution methods for models with occasionally-binding constraints to assess the demand stabilisation properties of state-contingent fiscal rules. First it is shown that fiscal flexibility can make recessions shallower. Second, it is suggested that GDP growth, rather than measures of the output gap, is a better indicator for triggering fiscal flexibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A recent drive to improve sepsis awareness has been accompanied by prolific media reporting about its management in children. Media reporting is known to influence public understanding of health issues and subsequent health-seeking behaviour. Aim: To examine UK newspaper representations of sepsis in children to better understand how the messages they convey may impact on parents' consulting behaviour and expectations about antimicrobial prescribing. Design & setting: Qualitative analysis of articles published in 12 UK newspapers from January 1988 to June 2018. Method: Thematic analysis of 140 articles about sepsis in children identified through a search on the Nexis database. Results: Reporting about sepsis in UK newspapers was characterised by emotive personal narratives about affected children who have suffered death or disability. These events were frequently presented as resulting from failings within the healthcare system that could have been avoided by early treatment. Health professionals were portrayed as inadequately prepared to recognise and manage sepsis, and as reluctant to prescribe antibiotics, even when necessary. Parents were positioned as advocates for their children, and as being ultimately responsible for ensuring that they receive appropriate treatment. Conclusion: This research identified messages about sepsis in the UK news media that could influence public attitudes about antibiotic prescribing in acute childhood illness. Public health communications about sepsis awareness must acknowledge the wider implications of unnecessary antibiotic use as a driver of antimicrobial resistance to reduce the risk of damaging efforts to promote rational prescribing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UK network of Marine Protected Areas and the application of management measures to protect conservation features has grown over the past decade. Bodies that regulate activities within MPAs require advice from ‘statutory’ conservation bodies. Therefore to assess the developing MPA networks resilience it is important to assess the ability of bodies to provide effective conservation advice. Thus ‘Natural England’ officers were interviewed to assess their ability to provide scientific advice on the impacts of operations in English MPAs. Results highlight the opinions of UK statutory conservation advisors to be able to provide concrete evidence on the impact of MPA designations and management measures. Response scores were ranked from 1 to 5, with 1 representing a low score, and 5, high. For governance, there was a very positive response to the structures in place to provide conservation advice (4.5). However, in terms of the finance available to provide adequate scientific advice, responses scored lower at 3.1. The majority of NE respondents believe the budget available for ‘feature condition assessment’ to be insufficient for the current MPA network, with most advice derived from ‘expert judgement’ based on the precautionary principle rather than site-based observation of ‘cause-and-effect’ from different human activities. Yet although budgets are a problem, the relationship between Natural England and local fisheries regulators is very healthy, resulting in better joined-up communication over management measures applied to stakeholders. Hence this research recommends the development of private-public partnerships (co-management initiatives) to reduce costs, bring in affected stakeholders and their assets, and improve trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A well-established postgraduate researcher development program has existed at De Montfort University for many years. Library and Learning Services include modules on literature searching skills and critical appraisal. However, we recognized that researchers seemed to be disengaged with the services on offer. This concern informed a research project that considered the ways we could communicate better with researchers based on their needs. This paper explores the essential components of successful communication, such as context, timeliness and communication channels. An action-research approach was taken including focus groups and online surveys. The outcomes highlighted three significant crisis points, emphasizing the key times when researchers might need some intervention. The findings of this research identified the distinct needs of Postgraduate Researchers (PGRs) and how relevant and timely communication from the library can meet these needs. It also considers the impact of how communication has improved with researchers as a result of some of our interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background An association between children's early language development and their emotional and behavioural functioning is reported in the literature. The nature of the association remains unclear and it has not been established if such an association is found in a population-based cohort in addition to clinical populations. Methods This study examines the reported association between language development and emotional and behavioural functioning in a population-based cohort. Data from 1,314 children in the Children in Focus (CiF) sample from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children ( ALSPAC) were analysed. Regression models identified the extent to which early language ability at 2 years of age and later language ability at 4 years of age is associated with emotional and behavioural functioning at 6 years while accounting for biological and social risk and adjusting for age and performance intelligence ( PIQ). Results A series of univariable and multivariable analyses identified a strong influence of biological risk, social risk and early and later language ability to emotional and behavioural functioning. Interestingly, social risk dropped out of the multivariate analyses when age and PIQ were controlled for. Early expressive vocabulary at 2 years and receptive language at 4 years made a strong contribution to emotional and behavioural functioning at 6 years in addition to biological risk. The final model accounted for 11.6% of the variance in emotional and behavioural functioning at 6 years. Conclusions The study identified that early language ability at 2 years, specifically expressive vocabulary and later receptive language at 4 years both made a moderate, but important contribution to emotional and behavioural functioning at 6 years of age. Although children's language development is important in understanding children's emotional and behavioural functioning, the study shows that it is one of many developmental factors involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research problem: In recent years, many businesses have become involved in internationalized projects, yet understanding the dynamics of engineering communication in virtual dispersed teams is limited. Research questions: How do the factors mentioned in the literature function in an international engineering project? Are there factors that enhance or constrain the work in an engineering setting that are not mentioned in previous studies? Literature review: Existing knowledge on the contextual factors that affect virtual international professional communication is mainly built on the study of the communication practices of students or business professionals who are not engineers. Results of that literature have identified factors that enhance communication for dispersed virtual teams (which include cross-cultural training, using appropriate communication technology, face-to-face communication opportunities, respect for partners, regularly scheduled meetings, a common language, a common discipline, and cross-cultural understandings though popular media). There are factors that challenge communication for dispersed virtual teams (which include differing cultural assumptions, differing cultural communication styles, US Government export control regulations, proximity and time issues, and differing levels of perceived power and influence). Methodology: This study involved observing international engineer meetings in the US and the UK and interviewing 19 engineers leading an international design team. The participants worked for the same international company with about half from the US and half in Great Britain. Results and discussion: Many of the factors identified in general professional communication studies held true for this context. But some features were unique to an engineering environment that the literature had not previously mentioned, including iplanning for and working with intercultural dispersed virtual engineering teams and that people need to consider many complexities of culture that affect communication practices. Because this study observed one team in the context of only two cultures, future research may determine whether these factors are more widely found in other teams, workplaces, and cultures. Future research may also determine the relative levels of influence of the contextual factors on international dispersed virtual engineering teams. In addition, the study of engineers learning to communicate in international settings may be illuminating. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Patrick Dunleavy et al. established some years ago that Prime Ministers have engaged less and less with Parliament. This article updates their work and extends it to all party leaders in the House of Commons since 1945. Prime-ministerial participation has continued to decline, has become increasingly institutionalised and is matched by the Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Liberals/Liberal Democrats, whose activity appears largely reactive. However, this contrasts with the parliamentary activity of the leaders of other parties in the Commons, whose activity is invariably greater and more varied. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article sets controversies surrounding Anti-Oppressive Practice (AOP) and the current standing of the social work profession in a comparative framework to support our central hypothesis that the social politics of social work are related to the welfare regimes in which they are embedded. The article suggests that professional social work ‘practice identities’ in liberal-type welfare regimes, such as Great Britain and Ireland, develop in the context of residual-type welfare regimes, while social work ‘practice identities’ in social democratic-type welfare regimes, as exemplified by the Nordic countries, are embedded in universal-type welfare regimes and social care systems. The article suggests that these welfare contexts enable and constrain the manner in which social work is practised. From a comparative perspective, we contend that it is in the interfacing of welfare regime ideologies and social work/social care practice ideologies that the breadth and possibilities of transformative AOP are embedded and contested. The analysis of AOP contained in this article also addresses relevant contemporary issues in international social work, including globalisation and global care chains. A Taxonomy of Transformative Social Work Practice is offered as a framework for anti-oppressive social work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Design of intumescent protection systems for concrete filled structural steel hollow (CFS) sections in the UK typically requires three input parameters in practice: (1) a required fire resistance rating; (2) and ‘effective’ section factor; and (3) a limiting steel temperature for the hollow structural section. While the first of these inputs is generally prescribed in building codes, the latter two require greater engineering knowledge and judgement. This paper examines results from standard furnace tests on 26 CFS sections, 14 of which were protected with intumescent coatings by application of current UK design guidance. The protected sections demonstrate highly conservative fire protection under standard fire exposure, a conservatism not typically observed for protected unfilled steel hollow sections. The possible causes of the observed conservatism are discussed, and it is demonstrated that the method currently used to calculate the effective section factor for protected CFS columns is based on a false presumption that both unprotected and protected CFS columns can be treated in the same manner. A conservative method for determination of the steel limiting temperature for CFS columns is proposed; this can be applied by designers to more efficiently specify intumescent fire protection for CFS members. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective The objective of this study was to explore the role librarians play on research teams. The experiences of a librarian and a faculty member are situated within the wider literature addressing collaborations between health science librarians and research faculty. Methods A case study approach is used to outline the involvement of a librarian on a team created to investigate the best practices for integrating nurses into the workplace during their first year of practice. Results Librarians contribute to research teams including expertise in the entire process of knowledge development and dissemination including the ability to navigate issues related to copyright and open access policies of funding agencies. Discussion The librarian reviews the various tasks performed as part of the research team ranging from the grant application, to working on the initial literature review as well as the subsequent manuscripts that emerged from the primary research. The motivations for joining the research team, including authorship and relationship building, are also discussed. Recommendations are also made in terms of how librarians could increase their participation on research teams. Conclusion The study shows that librarians can play a key role on interprofessional primary research teams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcohol binge drinking puts a person at a higher risk for hazards of poor judgment, such as violence, vandalism, sexual assault, and unprotected sexual encounters. Thorough assessment and judicious management of patients who have consumed too much alcohol serve as a basis for competent nursing care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is commonly assumed that boys have poorer language skills than girls, but this assumption is largely based on studies with small, clinical samples or focusing on expressive language skills. This study examines the relationship between gender and receptive vocabulary, literacy, and non-verbal performance at 5 years through to adulthood. The participants were a UK birth cohort of 11,349 children born in one week in March 1970. Logistic regression models were employed to examine the association of gender with language and literacy at 5 and 34 years. Non-verbal abilities were comparable at 5 years, but there were significant differences for both receptive vocabulary and reading, favouring the boys and the girls, respectively. Boys but not girls who had parents who were poor readers were more likely to be not reading at 5 years. Gender was not associated with adulthood literacy. Boys may have a slight advantage over girls in terms of their receptive vocabulary, raising questions about the skills tested and the characteristics of clinical populations. The findings are discussed in terms of the nature of the way that children are assessed and the assumptions underpinning clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The paper aims to examine the promotion of intra-organisational collaboration within a university setting. Design/methodology/approach – An ethnographic approach influenced by a phenomenographic framework of analysis was used. Findings – Content analysis of qualitative data resulted in 11 overlapping themes being identified in respect of collaboration. Final analysis led to the identification of four hierarchically inclusive degrees of collaboration. Research limitations/implications – The research, whilst based within one UK university, raises important conceptual as well as practical questions. Practical implications – The implications of this paper have relevance for the ways in which universities and other agencies promote intra- as well as inter-departmental (or agency) working. Originality/value – By using the framework developed it is possible to see parallels across different professional and agency settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is the second of a two-part article presenting a new assessment tool (the snapshot) for pre-registration nurses in clinical practice that is being used at Kingston University/St George's University of London during year 3 of the Diploma and BSc programme. Part 1 of this article presented background to the snapshot tool and the research approach used in the evaluative research study. Part 2 will present the data collection, findings and discussion which show that the snapshot is perceived positively by students in terms of the criteria, documentation and process. However, mentor understanding of these factors varied with some mentors having an inadequate understanding and additional question: of assessment validity also arose and need to be addressed. Both parts of this article make a contribution to the practice assessment agenda and to the continuous clinical assessment methods currently in use that tests students' competence against agreed criteria. The snapshot reflects the reality of practice and assesses skills in a realistic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Railway mapping, a distinctive genre of cartography, came into existence with the invention of railway transport in Britain. The planned route for the first public railway, the Stockton & Darlington Railway, was surveyed by 1820 as a statutory requirement for the Act of Parliament that was necessary before construction could proceed. The Stockton & Darlington Railway was granted its Act in 1821 and opened in 1825. From then on, an abundance of maps, plans, diagrams and technical drawings were created to enable railways to be planned, constructed and operated; to be changed, developed and regulated; to attract business and passengers; and to provide railway staff with a range of specialist tools. Today, Britain probably has the largest surviving corpus of such material, but owing to the essentially private nature of the preparation and use of railway maps, it remains largely unstudied and therefore scarcely evaluated in terms of its historical worth. This paper summarizes the archival history of Britain's railway maps and describes eleven broad categories of railway cartography that collectively form a coherent body of maps covering much of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and which await better access and comprehensive study. It also underlines the urgency of ensuring the preservation of the railway map archive from further loss and destruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Service user involvement is called for at every level of NHS delivery in the United Kingdom (UK). This article describes a model of service user participation in the development of mental health nurse curricula in a UK university. Using a research model of participatory action research, the Participation In Nurse Education (PINE) project has now become mainstream in the mental health branches at the university. Service users led the design and implementation of the teaching sessions and led the data collection and analysis. Research participants were the service user trainers and the student nurses who were involved in being taught in the early stages of the project. The benefits of the work to both trainers and students are identified as well as some of the difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents an annotated bibliography of government publications for the 2002-2003 parliamentary sessions in Great Britain. Modernization Committee's review of the programming of bills in its 2002-2003 report; Published reports of the Commons Procedure Committee; Publications by the Standards & Privileges Committee.

A novel nurse-delivered multicomponent intervention for major depressive disorder (MDD) in cancer outpatients was compared with usual care alone in a nonrandomised matched group design (n=30 per group). At the final 6-month outcome, 38.5% (95% CI, 5.4-57%) fewer patients in the intervention group still met the criteria for MDD.British Journal of Cancer (2004) 90, 310-313. doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6601546 www.bjcancer.com [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A screening programme designed to identify cases of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in patients attending a Regional Cancer Centre outpatient department was established. It comprised two stages: (1) The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) self-rating questionnaire administered by a touch-screen computer; (2) we interviewed patients with high scores on the HADS (15 or more total score) over the telephone using the depression section of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSMIV (SCID). A large consecutive sample (5613) of oncology clinic attenders was screened, and practical difficulties in the screening process were identified. The estimated prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) in the sample surveyed was approximately 8% (7.8%; 95% confidence intervals 6.9-8.5%). We assessed a consecutive series of 150 patients identified as having MDD to determine how many had received evidence-based treatment for MDD. Only half had discussed their low mood with their general practitioner, only one-third had been prescribed any antidepressant medication, and very few had taken a therapeutic dose for an adequate period. Very few had received psychological treatment or had been referred to mental health services. Most were receiving no potentially effective therapy.British Journal of Cancer (2004) 90, 314-320. doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6601578 www.bjcancer.com [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents an annotated bibliography of government publications in Great Britain for 1998-1999 parliamentary sessions. Reports published by the Procedure committee; Fourteen reports published by the Standards and Privileges committee; Annual report of the House of Commons Commission.

Presents an annotated bibliography of government publications for the 1996-1997 Parliamentary session in Great Britain. Parliamentary procedure; Standards and privileges; Parliamentary control of the executive.

For many years the nursing profession in the United Kingdom has sought ways of improving the education of nurses. The present article explores some of the issues surrounding the recent proposals for an alternative to the long-standing apprenticeship system, namely that of moving basic nurse education into institutions of higher education. In particular, it focuses upon and explores the views of clinical nurse teachers and nurse tutors. In order to provide an historical context, the article begins by outlining the history of nurse education over the last century with reference to the various reports that have been published throughout the period. Before discussing the results of a questionnaire completed by those currently involved in the training and education of nurses, the article also considers the experience of other countries where collegiate education for nurses has been introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Looks at the state and parliament and government in Great Britain. Publication of parliamentary paper; Role of Select Committee on Procedure; Nature of three reports in publication; Reports from Home Affairs Committee; Status of government reports on developments in European Community; Introduction of Intelligence Services Bill; Inquiry of Treasury and Civil Service Committee; Status of report from Representation of European Parliamentary Constituency.

Discusses career patterns in British politics. Advantages of choosing the right party; Two-party domination; Steps in becoming a Member of Parliament; Other allied careers.

Presents an annotated bibliography of government publication for the 1991-1992 British parliamentary session. Parliamentary procedure; Broadcasting of parliamentary proceedings; Ombudsmen system; Civil Service; Elections and electoral reform; Freedom of Information Bill; Publication of Register of Members' Interests.

Considers ecosystem irrigation as a means of groundwater recharge and water quality improvement in Great Britain. Location of the recharge site; Application schedules of the irrigation water; Depths of water applied during the irrigation periods; Effect of the water on the vegetation.

The article focuses on the special report by the House of Commons Select Committee on Procedure in Great Britain. The House of Commons Privileges Committee investigates the allegement of a misconduct affair, which affect the parliamentary agent involving a local government officer. Another report from the House of Commons Commission providing details of the establishment and numbers of staff in Department of House. In addition, the Select Committee the Proceedings of the House recommends to televise the Commons, passing the resolution and authorizing broadcasting for an experimental period.

The article focuses on lobbying in Great Britain. According to the author, pressure politics involves choices, deciding how best to exert and where to exert pressure. He added that the role of parliament in pressure politics is a mixture of direct and indirect exertion of pressure, which sometimes contribute to the policy-making process. Moreover, the growth of lobbying and the use of political consultants has led demands for control over lobbying. He emphasized that most common means of seeking to control lobbying is through registers of interests or lobbyists.

The article presents a discussion of government publications for the British parliamentary session of 1985 to 1986. The Parliamentary procedure and the issued reports by the House of Commons Select Committee on Procedure are tackled in the article. Several reports regarding services and facilities, the broadcasting of parliamentary proceedings, statistics on complaint reports, developments and activities within the European community, Civil service reports, and other special accounts are also discussed.

The article presents an annotated bibliography of government publications for the 1983-1984 parliamentary session. The most important procedural development in the House of Commons in the 1983-1984 was the decision by the Select Committee on Procedure to embark on an inquiry into the public bill procedure. In its only report of the session the Procedure Committee considered the length of Members' speechless in the chamber and proposed that the for a trial period the Speaker could restrict speeches to ten minutes on certain business.

The article offers information on various government publications for the 1982-1983 parliamentary session in Great Britain. It states that the 1982-1983 session was identified by the publication of the 20th edition of the Erskine May edited by Sir Charles Gordon. On services and facilities, the major development in this field was the publication of the Top Salaries Review Board of a report on the pay and allowances of ministers. On elections and electoral reform, the Home Affairs Committee evaluated the provisions of the Representation of the People Acts and recommended several changes in electoral arrangements.

A list of articles related to the British Parliament for 1981-82 that were published in several journals are presented, including the annual report of the House of Commons Commission, and the annual report of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration.

Contemporary structural fire statistics are fundamental in engineering design practice to evaluate likelihood and consequence of fire for different property types, and to investigate how different safety measures impact fire spread. British Standard PD 7974-7:2003 has recently been updated using USA fire statistics; this paper compares PD 7974-7:2003 to current England statistics (named UK statistics) using one public and one Home Office dataset. PD 7974-7:2003 overestimates fire frequency with values up to 5 times greater than the ones found in UK and USA. When fire frequency is plotted against total floor space, for different property types, power laws with positive or negative exponent and polynomial functions provide better approximations of the data than the current codes. Average area damage from PD 7974-7:2003 has been compared to fire and total damage from UK datasets where fire size is usually well confined to room of origin at 20% of fires based on the publicly available dataset. When fires exceeding specific areas of damage are considered, PD 7974-7:2003 usually overestimates fire damage and underestimates total damage, with more damage evident when sprinklers are absent compared to when they are present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of anti–vascular endothelial growth factor drugs (anti-VEGFs) compared with panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) for treating proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) in the United Kingdom. A discrete event simulation model was developed, informed by individual participant data meta-analysis. The model captures treatment effects on best corrected visual acuity in both eyes, and the occurrence of diabetic macular edema and vitreous hemorrhage. The model also estimates the value of undertaking further research to resolve decision uncertainty. Anti-VEGFs are unlikely to generate clinically meaningful benefits over PRP. The model predicted anti-VEGFs be more costly and similarly effective as PRP, generating 0.029 fewer quality-adjusted life-years at an additional cost of £3688, with a net health benefit of −0.214 at a £20 000 willingness-to-pay threshold. Scenario analysis results suggest that only under very select conditions may anti-VEGFs offer potential for cost-effective treatment of PDR. The consequences of loss to follow-up were an important driver of model outcomes. Anti-VEGFs are unlikely to be a cost-effective treatment for early PDR compared with PRP. Anti-VEGFs are generally associated with higher costs and similar health outcomes across various scenarios. Although anti-VEGFs were associated with lower diabetic macular edema rates, the number of cases avoided is insufficient to offset the additional treatment costs. Key uncertainties relate to the long-term comparative effectiveness of anti-VEGFs, particularly considering the real-world rates and consequences of treatment nonadherence. Further research on long-term visual acuity and rates of vision-threatening complications may be beneficial in resolving uncertainties. • Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) is a leading cause of visual impairment and blindness in the United Kingdom and worldwide. Anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) drugs aflibercept and ranibizumab are recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for the treatment of various eye conditions, including diabetic macular edema, and have shown promise as an alternative treatment for PDR. • There is limited evidence on the cost-effectiveness of anti-VEGFs for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy. This study reports discrete event simulation–based cost-effectiveness analysis in which we evaluate the cost-effectiveness of anti-VEGFs compared with panretinal photocoagulation for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy in a UK setting. The analysis leveraged evidence from the AVID individual participant data meta-analysis, which synthesized data from 3 randomized controlled trials evaluating the effectiveness of anti-VEGFs for diabetic retinopathy. • The results of this analysis suggest that anti-VEGFs are unlikely to be a cost-effective treatment option compared with panretinal photocoagulation for treating early PDR in the United Kingdom. This holds across a variety of scenarios, with anti-VEGFs generally associated with higher costs and similar health outcomes over a lifetime time horizon. Important uncertainties remain around the consequences of loss to follow-up, the comparative long-term effectiveness of treatments, and the rates of vision-threatening complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information about several issues discussed at the National Association Equipment Services' (NAEP) Special Interest Group meetings in Great Britain. Topics include the diversity of the European Community and its delivery of care and social services and the different aspects of equipment provision and their processing. Details on the upcoming meetings and conferences of both the clinical and education groups are also included.