Symposium: Union and States\u27 Rights: Secession, 150 Years After Sumter, Preface

A preface to the four papers presented at the Annual Meeting of the Section on Legal History, American Association of Law Schools, held on January 7, 2011, in San Francisco

Moses and Modernism

A Review of The Bill of Rights and the States: The Colonial and Revolutionary Origins of American Liberties by Patrick T. Conley and John P. Kaminski and State Constitutional Law: Litigating Individual Rights, Claims and Defenses by Jennifer Friesen and Reference Guides to the State Constitutions of the United State

Quality assurance of placement supervision and placement learning environments : development of a new supervision measure for use as part of a trainee survey

Abstracts should be up to 250 words exclusive of the title. It should not include references and should be written in either the past or present tense. Where appropriate to the topic, please include objective/aim, background, method, results and conclusion. Aim: To develop a valid measure of confidential feedback on clinical placement environment and placement supervision from the perspective of applied psychology trainees in Scotland. Background: All NES training Programmes have mechanisms for quality assurance of clinical placement supervision and learning environments. These could be complimented by use of a confidential measure of trainees’ experiences over a wider scope to enable benchmarking across Programmes, NHS Boards and departments. A new psychometrically sound measure for gathering trainee’s experience of supervision in postgraduate psychology Programmes was developed. Method: Following a literature review and an expert concept mapping exercise, a pool of 107 items were generated. These were assessed by trainees for clarity and relevance and a 54 item measure was derived. This pilot measure was administered to postgraduate psychology trainees in Scotland (n = 160). A further administration (n = 187) was used to examine convergent and predictive validity. Other items were generated to gather the trainees’ views of the quality of the placement environment. Results: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used. Five factors were identified and labelled ‘supervisory working alliance, ‘establishing and protecting time, ‘reflective functioning and emotional awareness, ‘safety and trust’ and ‘skills development ‘.Analyses revealed the measure to have good convergent and predictive validity. Conclusion. The NES tool offers a psychometrically sound measure of trainees’ perspectives on the perceived effectiveness of clinical placement supervision. The measure is, therefore, a promising tool for use in research, clinical, and training settings. The process of planned reporting mechanisms, benchmarking and challenges of implementation will be described

<i>Streptococcus thermophilus</i> NCIMB 41856 ameliorates signs of colitis in an animal model of inflammatory bowel disease

Treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is mainly based on suppression of symptoms, often with numerous side effects. Trials of probiotics in IBD have frequently produced disappointing results. The majority of probiotics are unusual, since they do not require iron for growth, unlike many bacteria resident in the intestine. The IBD intestine is iron-rich due to bleeding and use of oral iron supplements; conventional probiotics would be rapidly outcompeted. We have evaluated an iron-responsive Streptococcus thermophilus strain for its potential to reduce signs of colitis. Efficacy of S. thermophilus was evaluated in the dextran sodium sulphate mouse model of colitis. Treated animals were given 1×108 cfu S. thermophilus per day and clinical observations were taken daily. At termination, gross and histopathological signs of disease, cellular infiltration, location of bacteria, and cytokine expression in the intestine were determined. S. thermophilus delayed onset of colitis and reduced clinical signs of disease, including bodyweight loss and gastrointestinal bleeding. It reduced bacterial translocation into the colonic tissue. Increased numbers of CD8+ intraepithelial lymphocytes were seen in control animals treated with S. thermophilus. S. thermophilus had no effect on gross pathology, histopathology or cytokine production in either colitic or control animals. We propose that S. thermophilus promotes maintenance of mucosal barrier function which reduces bacterial translocation, thereby reducing immune stimulation and associated inflammation. This allows mucosal healing, reducing gastrointestinal bleeding and weight loss. This could be studied as a locally-acting adjunct or alternative to current IBD treatments. </jats:p

Citizens defining citizenship : a model grounded in lived experience and its implications for research, policy and practice

Citizenship is gaining currency in health and social care internationally as a way of making sense of the lived experiences of people with major life disruptions who face exclusion, marginalisation and discrimination, but the concept is often contested, poorly defined and understood. This paper charts the development of an empirical model of citizenship within Scotland, UK. A mixed method, community based participatory research approach using 10 focus groups (n = 77), concept mapping exercises (n = 45) and statement clarity and relevant ratings (n = 242) was used to develop a model of citizenship that is grounded in the lived experience of participants, which is absent from current conceptualisations of citizenship. Multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis revealed five core domains emerging from our work: 'building relationships', 'autonomy and acceptance', 'access to services and supports', 'shared values and social roles' and 'civic rights and responsibilities' representing the personal meanings of citizenship for participants. We argue that the value of this model is that is draws upon the personal understandings and experiences of participants who emphasised the "banal ordinariness" of its core elements. We suggest that the model makes an original contribution by clearly illustrating the practical applicability of citizenship as a concept thus enhancing existing theories of citizenship. Our model highlights the interplay between the relational and structural aspects of citizenship and acknowledging the barriers that marginalised groups face in claiming their citizenship rights. It offers a call to action for policy makers and practitioners to set goals that contribute to the social inclusion of those who have experienced major life disruptions

Understanding citizenship within a health and social care context in Scotland using community based participatory research methods

Community based participatory research (CBPR) principles were used to develop a conceptual framework of citizenship for people experiencing mental health problems and/or other life disrupting events in Scotland. This case study illustrates the use of a participatory methodology replicating an approach adopted as part of an international collaboration in understanding citizenship across diverse social and cultural contexts. Reflecting on the approach taken, we argue that it encourages the development of a model of citizenship that is entirely grounded in the perspectives and lived experiences of the participants. We consider the importance of ‘meaningfully’ engaging peer researchers throughout the research process, exploring the methodological issues, challenges and opportunities when working in partnership. The importance of adopting a reflexive approach throughout the research approach is emphasised. We consider how the need for adequate resources, preparatory work, training and research management is key to the success of a CBPR approach with peer researchers. Finally, we suggest making appropriate adaptations to any research methodology when working with diverse populations, particularly the ‘seldom heard’ groups within society, in order to inform health and social policy and practice

What's citizenship got to do with mental health? Rationale for inclusion of citizenship as part of a mental health strategy

Purpose: People with lived experience of mental health problems (MHPs) are often marginalised and have difficulty achieving community inclusion. Citizenship, a relatively novel concept in mental health, provides a means of understanding what is necessary for marginalised individuals and groups to gain a sense of belonging within their communities. By exploring the “what, why, how and who” of citizenship, the purpose of this paper is to provide a rationale for the inclusion of citizenship as part of a person-centred and holistic mental health strategy. Design/methodology/approach: A community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach, with peer researchers, was adopted to develop a model of citizenship within a Scottish context. The aim of the model is to link the concept of citizenship with specific strategies that systems, agencies and individuals can use within mental health policy and practice to promote greater inclusion and participation. Concept mapping was used as part of a mixed-methods participatory methodology and data were then analysed using multivariate statistical methods of multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis. Findings: It is argued that using a CBPR approach, utilising concept mapping, encourages the development of a model of citizenship that is entirely grounded in the perspectives and lived experiences of people with MHPs. The need for adequate resources, preparatory work, training, research management and reflexive practice are key to the success of a CBPR approach with peer researchers. Originality/value: Working with peer researchers and key stakeholder groups is central to a CBPR approach and the implementation of a model of citizenship within mental health policy and practice. Developing a model of citizenship derived specifically from the experiences of people with lived experience is likely to promote their inclusion. It provides a means of challenging the structural deficits and inequalities that cause distress and prevent people with lived experience of MHPs of recovering their citizenship

Developing and establishing the psychometric properties of the Strathclyde Citizenship Measure : a new measure for health and social care practice and research

There has been increasing interest and research attention towards citizenship-based practices and care within health and social care settings. A framework for implementing citizenship-based interventions has helped support the participation in society of persons who have experienced major life disruptions. Yet, having ways to measure the impact of citizenship 'in action' within specific socio-cultural contexts has proved challenging. We report on the development of the Strathclyde Citizenship Measure (SCM) which seeks to establish a psychometrically sound measure of citizenship that is relevant to the Scottish context. We outline the three phases of developing the SCM: (1) item generation, (2) item reduction and piloting, and (3) measure validation. Having generated items for the SCM using concept mapping techniques, we piloted it with 407 participants who completed an online survey of a 60-item version of the SCM. The aims were to assess the validity of the items and reduce the number of items using principal components analysis for the final measure. This resulted in a 39 item SCM. We then sought to establish the psychometric properties of this shorter version of the SCM through testing its reliability, convergent, concurrent and discriminant validity. The 39 item SCM was administered online to 280 Scottish residents along with additional measures including the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS), the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS21), the Sense of Belonging Instrument (SOBI-A); the Big Five Personality Inventory (Shortened Version; BFI-10) and the Personal Social Capital Scale (PSCS-16). The factor structure and dimensionality of the SCM was examined using exploratory factor analysis and it was found to be reliable and valid. This paper explores the potential for the application of the SCM across health and social care settings and identifies future work to develop citizenship tools to facilitate dialogues about citizenship across health and social care practice settings