Centralization, organizational strategy, and public service performance

We test the separate and joint effects of centralization and organizational strategy on the performance of 53 UK public service organizations. Centralization is measured as both the hierarchy of authority and the degree of participation in decision making, whereas strategy is measured as the extent to which service providers are prospectors, defenders, and reactors. We find that centralization has no independent effect on service performance, even when controlling for prior performance, service expenditure, and external constraints. However, the impact of centralization is contingent on the strategic orientation of organizations. Centralized decision making works best in conjunction with defending, and decentralized decision making works best in organizations that emphasize prospecting.postprin

Preliminary results of passive microwave snow experiment during February and March 1978

The purpose of the experiment was to determine if remote microwave sensing of snowpack data could be used to predict runoff, thereby allowing more efficient management of the water supply. A four-frequency microwave radiometer system was attached to a truck-mounted aerial lift and was used to gather data on snowpacks at three different sites in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Ground truth data measurements (density, temperature, grain size, hardness, and free-liquid water content) were taken at each site corresponding to each microwave scan

Self Management and Telehealth: Lessons Learnt from the Evaluation of a Dorset Telehealth Program

Dorset Clinical Commissioning Group

Ordinary men in another world: British other ranks in captivity in Asia during the Second World War

The Second World War was a time of increased contacts for ordinary Britons with peoples of different race, ethnicity and nationality. This thesis explores these novel interactions primarily through the eyes of the other ranks of the 18th Division,who set sail from Britain in the latter part of 1941 and arrived in Singapore shortly before it was overwhelmed by the Japanese Imperial Army, in February 1942. They subsequently endured three and a half years in captivity, the severity of which was such that a quarter of them never returned. The harsh nature of their captivity meant that an unusually large number of them were inspired to make a record of their experiences, and it is the holdings of these accounts at the Imperial War Museum which provide the pivotal source for this project.Previous British studies of the prisoners of the Japanese have tended to describe aspects of the experience of the officer corps. In this thesis the focus is on the other ranks, and specifically those recently recruited to the services, whose previous overseas travels were at best, limited. It examines their attitudes towards the variety of peoples with whom they came into contact, in the categories of civilians, allied and enemy personnel. These contacts occurred in a variety of emotional settings, ranging from the relatively care free journey east, to the more fraught conditions of combat and captivity. It examines how these perspectives were formed and could change over time, and in what way they informed relations with these various groups. In the process new light is shone upon the experiences of these unfortunate men during the war, and how the former POWs mediated their captivity in the post-war perio

An evaluation of the ‘Lego® Therapy’ intervention used to support children with social communication difficulties in their mainstream classroom

This study presents an evaluation of the Lego® Therapy intervention (LeGoff, 2004) for six children, aged six to ten, with varying social communication difficulties. Lego® Therapy is a small-group, child-led and peer-based social development programme. Relevant theory and existing literature is explored firstly, before a systematic review of social communication intervention evaluations is presented. This is followed by a review of current Lego® Therapy studies, highlighting the limited evidence base that has been developed thus far. The present study’s aims of extending and applying more reliable and valid research designs to evaluate the intervention are then presented. An ABA single case experimental design (SCED) was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention in increasing, maintaining and generalising the social confidence and independence, as well as the sense of school belonging, of the participants. Weekly classroom based video observations, which were coded, using an adapted version of Thunberg, Ahlsen and Sandberg’s (2007) Communication Coding Scheme, explored the participant’s social confidence and independence development and maintenance. Pre, post and delayed measures using The Social Competence Inventory (Rydell, Hagekull & Bohlin, 1997) and The Belonging Scale (Goodenow, 1993) assessed the participant’s parent and teachers perceptions of skill generalisation and the participant’s self-reported sense of school belonging. Outcomes from the SCED showed that the majority of the participants (five out of six) improved in at least one of the social communication skills measured and this maintained post intervention for three of the participants. An increase in perceptions of the participant’s social communication skills was reported within the school (five out of six) and home environment (three out of six). All participants rated a high level of sense of school belonging prior to the intervention, and change was variable per participant following the intervention. Study limitations require acknowledgement when considering the outcomes, particularly the generalisability of the findings due to the design of the study and stability of some of the participant’s Baseline phases that reduce the reliability of the measures. The study concludes with some support for the positive impact Lego® Therapy can have on social confidence and independence. Recommendations are made for future research to enhance the growing evidence base for this intervention

What is the role of HLA-I on cancer derived extracellular vesicles? Defining the challenges in characterisation and potential uses of this ligandome

The Human Leukocyte Antigen class I (HLA-I) system is an essential part of the immune system that is fundamental to the successful activation of cytotoxic lymphocytes, and an effective subsequent immune attack against both pathogen-infected and cancer cells. The importance of cytotoxic T cell activity and ability to detect foreign cancer-related antigenic peptides has recently been highlighted by the successful application of monoclonal antibody-based checkpoint inhibitors as novel immune therapies. Thus, there is an increased interest in fully characterising the repertoire of peptides that are being presented to cytotoxic CD8+ T cells by cancer cells. However, HLA-I is also known to be present on the surface of extracellular vesicles, which are released by most if not all cancer cells. Whilst the peptide ligandome presented by cell surface HLA class I molecules on cancer cells has been studied extensively, the ligandome of extracellular vesicles remains relatively poorly defined. Here, we will describe the current understanding of the HLA-I peptide ligandome and its role on cancer-derived extracellular vesicles, and evaluate the aspects of the system that have the potential to advance immune-based therapeutic approaches for the effective treatment of cancer.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

A Non-invasive Method of Measuring Respiration while Providing Wireless Power for Rodents with Implantable Devices

Respiratory measurements can be used as diagnostic and research tools. Spirometry is the gold standard for gaining these measurements, but is difficult to use in rodents as it requires an invasive procedure. Total Body Plethysmograpy (TBP) is a non-invasive way to measure respiration rates that does not cause stress to the rodent. In this system, the subject is encased in a solid, constant volume chamber with measurements determining the subject’s respiration. When using TBP in medical or research settings, challenges occur in powering devices within the TBP chamber as wires and other recording equipment compromise the airtightness of the chamber. Therefore, it is imperative to create a TBP chamber that provides wireless power for these purposes. To do so, subjects were placed in a cubic or cylindrical airtight chamber with one inflow and exhaust nozzle to control chamber pressure and provide a steady stream of fresh oxygen. Pressure readings from the inside of the chamber were taken at a rate of four samples per second. Tests were run from two minutes to three hours to encompass rodent activity. Tests were inconclusive for measuring respiration with the specific sensors used, and further research and testing is needed to perfect this method. Once the method is proven to work with the pressure sensors, it will be able to be paired with the MRC chasm and therefore implemented in other studies

Exploring the use of strategic frameworks in dental practice

This paper explores the use of strategic frameworks in NHS and private dental practice. It reviews the policy context of dentistry and suggests the challenges in this context will require dental practices to prioritise understanding and engagement with a strategic approach. A strategic approach will be required in order to enhance and improve performance. Two specific strategic frameworks will be explored in terms of their relevance to NHS and private dental practic

An evaluation of the ‘Lego® Therapy’ intervention used to support children with social communication difficulties in their mainstream classroom

This study presents an evaluation of the Lego® Therapy intervention (LeGoff, 2004) for six children, aged six to ten, with varying social communication difficulties. Lego® Therapy is a small-group, child-led and peer-based social development programme. Relevant theory and existing literature is explored firstly, before a systematic review of social communication intervention evaluations is presented. This is followed by a review of current Lego® Therapy studies, highlighting the limited evidence base that has been developed thus far. The present study’s aims of extending and applying more reliable and valid research designs to evaluate the intervention are then presented. An ABA single case experimental design (SCED) was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention in increasing, maintaining and generalising the social confidence and independence, as well as the sense of school belonging, of the participants. Weekly classroom based video observations, which were coded, using an adapted version of Thunberg, Ahlsen and Sandberg’s (2007) Communication Coding Scheme, explored the participant’s social confidence and independence development and maintenance. Pre, post and delayed measures using The Social Competence Inventory (Rydell, Hagekull & Bohlin, 1997) and The Belonging Scale (Goodenow, 1993) assessed the participant’s parent and teachers perceptions of skill generalisation and the participant’s self-reported sense of school belonging. Outcomes from the SCED showed that the majority of the participants (five out of six) improved in at least one of the social communication skills measured and this maintained post intervention for three of the participants. An increase in perceptions of the participant’s social communication skills was reported within the school (five out of six) and home environment (three out of six). All participants rated a high level of sense of school belonging prior to the intervention, and change was variable per participant following the intervention. Study limitations require acknowledgement when considering the outcomes, particularly the generalisability of the findings due to the design of the study and stability of some of the participant’s Baseline phases that reduce the reliability of the measures. The study concludes with some support for the positive impact Lego® Therapy can have on social confidence and independence. Recommendations are made for future research to enhance the growing evidence base for this intervention