Beyond Positivism: Studying the Experience of Family Farms Engaged in Agritourism

Studies into agritourism have predominately privileged positivistic methodologies and quantitative approaches. As such extant studies have highlighted the economic importance of adding tourism enterprises on farms, while not adequately uncovering or probing deep enough into the complex web of factors influencing the start-up and operating of tourism enterprises on family farms. Further the need to explore, describe and better understand the complexity of how tourism is impacting the farm, the families and rural areas continues to grow. This paper captured and documents the experience taken by three researchers while conducting independent agritourism studies following an interpretative research approach, specifically Q-Methodology, Appreciative Inquiry, and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

The Box-Of-Chocolate Phenonema: Using narratives to improve staff morale in large organisations

In 2010 a group of senior managers of the Manchester Metropolitan University, one of the largest universities in the United Kingdom with over 4000 members of staff, started a project to explore ways of encouraging a more positive attitude amongst the wider staff community and to begin to change perceptions of the organisation, i.e to change the cultural narrative of their own institution. The objectives of the project was to use narratives - as a richer set of data - to provide a deeper understanding of how staff develop different identification factors in relation to the institution, locally as well as corporate and to devise and implement a strategy that would allow the institution to create a new and more positive narrative about itself. The investigation resulted in the development of a major institutional-wide initiative, which is in its early stages

The Box-Of-Chocolate Phenonema: Using narratives to improve staff morale in large organisations (15 pages)

In 2010 a group of senior managers of the Manchester Metropolitan University, one of the largest universities in the United Kingdom with over 4000 members of staff, started a project to explore ways of encouraging a more positive attitude amongst the wider staff community and to begin to change perceptions of the organisation, i.e to change the cultural narrative of their own institution. The objectives of the project was to use narratives - as a richer set of data - to provide a deeper understanding of how staff develop different identification factors in relation to the institution, locally as well as corporate and to devise and implement a strategy that would allow the institution to create a new and more positive narrative about itself. The investigation resulted in the development of a major institutional-wide initiative, which is in its early stages. The paper will describe the results of the project, which collected evidences from a institutional-wide staff survey, from structured focus groups, from a talking-heads video that gave individuals the opportunity to have their thoughts to be recorded and a literature review, as well as outline the new initiative, developed from the findings of this project, which is in its early stages of development

A combined biomarker panel shows improved sensitivity for the early detection of ovarian cancer allowing the identification of the most aggressive Type II tumours.

Background: There is an urgent need for biomarkers for the early detection of ovarian cancer (OC). The purpose of this study was to assess whether changes in serum levels of lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), glucoseregulated protein, 78 kDa (GRP78), calprotectin and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 2 (IGFBP2) are observed before clinical presentation and to assess the performance of these markers alone and in combination with CA125 for early detection. Methods: This nested case–control study used samples from the United Kingdom Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening trial. The sample set consisted of 482 serum samples from 49 OC subjects and 31 controls, with serial samples spanning up to 7 years pre-diagnosis. The set was divided into the following: (I) a discovery set, which included all women with only two samples from each woman, the first ato14 months and the second at 432 months to diagnosis; and (ii) a corroboration set, which included all the serial samples from the same women spanning the 7-year period. Lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase, SHBG, GRP78, calprotectin and IGFBP2 were measured using ELISA. The performance of the markers to detect cancers pre-diagnosis was assessed. Results: A combined threshold model IGFBP2 478.5 ng ml 1 : LCAT o8.831 mg ml 1 : CA125 435 Uml 1 outperformed CA125 alone for the earlier detection of OC. The threshold model was able to identify the most aggressive Type II cancers. In addition, it increased the lead time by 5–6 months and identified 26% of Type I subjects and 13% of Type II subjects that were not identified by CA125 alone. Conclusions: Combined biomarker panels (IGFBP2, LCAT and CA125) outperformed CA125 up to 3 years pre-diagnosis, identifying cancers missed by CA125, providing increased diagnostic lead times for Type I and Type II OC. The model identified more aggressive Type II cancers, with women crossing the threshold dying earlier, indicating that these markers can improve on the sensitivity of CA125 alone for the early detection of OC

BHPR research: qualitative1. Complex reasoning determines patients' perception of outcome following foot surgery in rheumatoid arhtritis

Background: Foot surgery is common in patients with RA but research into surgical outcomes is limited and conceptually flawed as current outcome measures lack face validity: to date no one has asked patients what is important to them. This study aimed to determine which factors are important to patients when evaluating the success of foot surgery in RA Methods: Semi structured interviews of RA patients who had undergone foot surgery were conducted and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis of interviews was conducted to explore issues that were important to patients. Results: 11 RA patients (9 ♂, mean age 59, dis dur = 22yrs, mean of 3 yrs post op) with mixed experiences of foot surgery were interviewed. Patients interpreted outcome in respect to a multitude of factors, frequently positive change in one aspect contrasted with negative opinions about another. Overall, four major themes emerged. Function: Functional ability & participation in valued activities were very important to patients. Walking ability was a key concern but patients interpreted levels of activity in light of other aspects of their disease, reflecting on change in functional ability more than overall level. Positive feelings of improved mobility were often moderated by negative self perception ("I mean, I still walk like a waddling duck”). Appearance: Appearance was important to almost all patients but perhaps the most complex theme of all. Physical appearance, foot shape, and footwear were closely interlinked, yet patients saw these as distinct separate concepts. Patients need to legitimize these feelings was clear and they frequently entered into a defensive repertoire ("it's not cosmetic surgery; it's something that's more important than that, you know?”). Clinician opinion: Surgeons' post operative evaluation of the procedure was very influential. The impact of this appraisal continued to affect patients' lasting impression irrespective of how the outcome compared to their initial goals ("when he'd done it ... he said that hasn't worked as good as he'd wanted to ... but the pain has gone”). Pain: Whilst pain was important to almost all patients, it appeared to be less important than the other themes. Pain was predominately raised when it influenced other themes, such as function; many still felt the need to legitimize their foot pain in order for health professionals to take it seriously ("in the end I went to my GP because it had happened a few times and I went to an orthopaedic surgeon who was quite dismissive of it, it was like what are you complaining about”). Conclusions: Patients interpret the outcome of foot surgery using a multitude of interrelated factors, particularly functional ability, appearance and surgeons' appraisal of the procedure. While pain was often noted, this appeared less important than other factors in the overall outcome of the surgery. Future research into foot surgery should incorporate the complexity of how patients determine their outcome Disclosure statement: All authors have declared no conflicts of interes

Beyond Positivism: Studying the Experience of Family Farms Engaged in Agritourism

Studies into agritourism have predominately privileged positivistic methodologies and quantitative approaches. As such extant studies have highlighted the economic importance of adding tourism enterprises on farms, while not adequately uncovering or probing the complex web of factors influencing the start-up and operating of tourism enterprises on family farms. Further the need to explore, describe and better understand the complexity of how tourism is impacting the farm, the families and rural areas continues to grow. This paper captures and documents the experience taken by three researchers while conducting independent agritourism studies following an interpretative research approach, specifically Q-Methodology, Appreciative Inquiry, and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

A review of agritourism literature from the last three decades

Agritourism has long been recognised as a diversification strategy to reinvigorate rural economies and maintain the farm family way of life. Thus, it is unsurprising that scholarly interest in the phenomenon has developed significantly over the last three decades; covering a variety of research themes, phenomenological approaches, and methodologies, intent on understanding this form of agricultural restructuring in all its forms. However, whilst the importance of farm tourism has been demonstrated in a range of international contexts, coverage remains fragmented, often draws from a narrow case study base and lacks conceptual clarity. This presentation will critically explore a range of key studies on the topic, evaluating both supply and demand-side works on farm tourism, before establishing a future research agenda. The presentation summarises three decades of agritourism research and establishes a research agenda of value to academics and practitioners. Despite an emerging body of work on agritourism, a holistic review does not yet exist. This presentation will offer greater conceptual clarity as well as identifying key research questions worthy of future theoretical and empirical study

Beyond positivism: studying the experience of farm families engaged in agritourism

Studies into agritourism have predominately privileged positivistic methodologies and quantitative approaches. As such extant studies have highlighted the economic importance of adding tourism enterprises on farms, while not adequately uncovering or probing deeply enough into the complex web of factors influencing farm families to start and operate tourism enterprises on their farms. Further the need to explore, describe and better understand the complexity of how tourism is impacting the farm, the families and rural areas continues to grow. This paper captured and documents the experience taken by three researchers while conducting independent agritourism studies following an interpretative research approach, specifically Q-Methodology, Appreciative Inquiry, and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Vanishing Immunoglobulins: The Formation of Pauci-Immune Lesions in Myeloperoxidase-Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody-Associated Vasculitis

Background: Morphological examination of blood films remains the reference standard for malaria diagnosis. Supporting the skills required to make an accurate morphological diagnosis is therefore essential. However, providing support across different countries and environments is a substantial challenge. Objective: This paper reports a scheme supplying digital slides of malaria-infected blood within an Internet-based virtual microscope environment to users with different access to training and computing facilities. The feasibility of the approach was established, allowing users to test, record, and compare their own performance with that of other users. Methods: From Giemsa stained thick and thin blood films, 56 large high-resolution digital slides were prepared, using high-quality image capture and 63x oil-immersion objective lens. The individual images were combined using the photomerge function of Adobe Photoshop and then adjusted to ensure resolution and reproduction of essential diagnostic features. Web delivery employed the Digital Slidebox platform allowing digital microscope viewing facilities and image annotation with data gathering from participants. Results: Engagement was high with images viewed by 38 participants in five countries in a range of environments and a mean completion rate of 42/56 cases. The rate of parasite detection was 78% and accuracy of species identification was 53%, which was comparable with results of similar studies using glass slides. Data collection allowed users to compare performance with other users over time or for each individual case. Conclusions: Overall, these results demonstrate that users worldwide can effectively engage with the system in a range of environments, with the potential to enhance personal performance through education, external quality assessment, and personal professional development, especially in regions where educational resources are difficult to access