Development of vorticity patterns in stratified fluids

Imperial Users onl

Book review: What is digital sociology? by Neil Selwyn

In What is Digital Sociology?, Neil Selwyn offers a new overview of digital sociology, advocating for its mainstream acceptance as a valuable expansion of sociological inquiry, while dispelling the misconception that it is a entirely new or radically different form of sociology. This is an excellent introduction to digital sociology, recommends Huw Davies, that will be particularly helpful for students and any sociologist curious about the field’s scope and purpose

Clinical governance: striking a balance between checking and trusting

Clinical governance emerged as one of the big ideas central to the latest round of health reforms. It places with health care managers, for the first time, a statutory duty for quality of care on an equal footing with the pre-existing duty of financial responsibility (Warden 1998). Clinical governance tries to encourage an appropriate emphasis on the quality of clinical services by locating the responsibility for that quality along defined lines of accountability. This paper explores some of the implications of clinical governance using the economic perspective of principal-agent theory. It examines the ways in which principals seek to overcome the potential for agent opportunism either by reducing asymmetries of information (for example, by using performance data) or by aligning objective functions (for example, by creation of a shared quality culture). As trust and mutuality (or their absence) underpin all principal-agent relationships these issues lie at the heart of the discussion. The analysis emphasises the need for a balance between techniques that seek to compel performance improvements (through externally applied measurement and management), and approaches that trust to intrinsic professional motivation to deliver high quality services. Of crucial importance in achieving this balance is the creation and maintenance of the right organisational culture.governance

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE FACTORS DETERMINING RUMINANT LIVESTOCK DISTRIBUTION IN THE FAR SOUTH WEST

Major changes are taking place in all sectors of the livestock and meat producing industries from farm to consumer which impinge on the processes and pattems of livestock distribution from farm to slaughter. These changes are identified and described. A farm business survey of lowland beef and sheep finishers was undertaken, prior to the 2001 Foot and Mouth outbreak, to gain a better understanding of farm business behaviour in order to model the farm business strategies in relation to aggregate livestock channel utilisation. Statistically robust and predictive models using a number of derived latent strategic variables, distilling marketing and business orientations, were used in an adapted multivariate approach. Group profiling confirmed consistency with the cluster profiles. Results show that both lowland beef and sheep producers can be statistically classified into three distinct strategic groups. The marketing approaches that farm businesses use vary according to group membership. For lowland beef producers these are described as selling orientation, buyer focus and differentiation strategies. Sellers view beef production as a minor enterprise to provide supplementary farm income, but fail to meet procurement requirements and are limited to channel utilisation. Buyer focus are production orientated, understand distribution, have good market knowledge and meet procurement standards. Differentiators have similar attributes to buyer focus, but are more likely to differentiate and add value and actively seek markets to which they can sell. Lowland sheep producer strategies are described as opportunist, production and differentiation. Opportunists have similar attributes to sellers, and fail to meet or understand procurement requirements. Producers are as production orientated as buyer focus, but have poorer market and distribution knowledge and tend to focus primarily on production concerns. Differentiators, as with beef finishers, are more likely to differentiate and add value and actively seek markets to which they can sell. The developed typologies reveal that farm business marketing behaviour changes according to group membership and this has a significant influence on aggregate channel utilisation within the Far South West. For some fanners it would appear that channel utilisation is predetermined

Knowledge mobilisation: new insights for theory and practice

Knowledge creation, flow and promulgation are enmeshed in complex institutional and organisational arrangements. The concern over the under-use of research given this complexity has led to the development of strategies aimed at mobilising knowledge. Huw Davies and Sandra Nutley describe the objectives of a new UK project exploring and linking the theory and practice of knowledge mobilisation

BFMAF – Border Crossing

The 10th edition of the Berwick Film and Media Arts Festival (BFMAF) ‘Border Crossing’ (September 2014) explored border identities and the crossing and transcending of global boundaries against the background of the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum. The research contribution of Davies relates to the curation of the Artists’ Trail / Installations; a promenade exhibition of artists’ film and video contextualised by publication which links together a number of different site-specific architectural locations within the Elizabethan Ramparts. The 2014 edition featured the work of 47 artists and filmmakers from 17 different countries and included 16 UK premiers and 6 specifically commissioned works. The commissions (selected from an international call) provide the opportunity for the creation of original new works as a response to the Festival theme and environmental location. The audience attendance was 9450

What counts as good evidence

Making better use of evidence is essential if public services are to deliver more for less. Central to this challenge is the need for a clearer understanding about standards of evidence that can be applied to the research informing social policy. This paper reviews the extent to which it is possible to reach a workable consensus on ways of identifying and labelling evidence. It does this by exploring the efforts made to date and the debates that have ensued. Throughout, the focus is on evidence that is underpinned by research, rather than other sources of evidence such as expert opinion or stakeholder views.Publisher PD

The impact of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Clinical Guideline 168 on the management of superficial venous disease

INTRODUCTION In 2013, NICE published new guidance (CG168) for the management of lower limb venous disease; these guidelines sought to improve access to secondary care and recognised newer endovenous treatment modalities sufficiently robust to recommend. No formal study had evaluated the effect of the introduction of Guideline CG168 on venous disease management; this prompted the research project embodying this thesis. METHODS The management of venous disease was investigated locally at a secondary care level with primary care management being studied via the Health Improvement Network Database. RESULTS Local secondary care has improved significantly since the introduction of CG168, demonstrating an increased use of endovenous treatments at earlier stage of venous disease. A significantly higher number of patients are being referred for specialist review with leg ulceration. An improvement in referral and management of varicose veins in the community setting was noted, however the increase in referral for leg ulceration was more modest, with patients often not referred at all for secondary care assessment. CONCLUSION Whilst current data presented here suggests enhanced management of superficial venous disease, nationwide primary care improvements have been less marked. Further efforts will be required to continue to publicise the importance of NICE Guideline CG168 in order to extend its beneficial effects on patient care