Until death do they part: preventing intimate partner homicide\ud

Just under one quarter of all homicide victims in England and Wales were killed by an intimate partner in the year 2008/9, according to Home Office statistics. In the aftermath of such fatalities, where the offender was clearly well known to the victim, questions are often raised about whether the attack could have been foreseen and whether services had failed the victim in not preventing the sometimes seemingly inevitable event. This article considers how psychological theory and research can lend itself to the prevention of serious and fatal intimate partner violence and looks at the current state of practice in this domain

Using impairment and cognitions to predict walking in osteoarthritis: A series ofn-of-1 studies with an individually tailored, data-driven intervention

Objectives First, this study compares the ability of an integrated model of activity and activity limitations, the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to predict walking within individuals with osteoarthritis. Second, the effectiveness of a walking intervention in these individuals is determined. Design A series of n-of-1 studies with an AB intervention design was used. Methods Diary methods were used to study four community-dwelling individuals with lower-limb osteoarthritis. Data on impairment symptoms (pain, pain on movement, and joint stiffness), cognitions (intention, self-efficacy, and perceived controllability), and walking (step count) were collected twice daily for 12 weeks. At 6 weeks, an individually tailored, data-driven walking intervention using action planning or a control cognition manipulation was delivered. Simulation modelling analysis examined cross-correlations and differences in baseline and intervention phase means. Post-hoc mediation analyses examined theoretical relationships and multiple regression analyses compared theoretical models. Results Cognitions, intention in particular, were better and more consistent within individual predictors of walking than impairment. The walking intervention did not increase walking in any of the three participants receiving it. The integrated model and the TPB, which recognize a predictive role for cognitions, were significant predictors of walking variance in all participants, whilst the biomedical ICF model was only predictive for one participant. Conclusion Despite the lack of evidence for an individually tailored walking intervention, predictive data suggest that interventions for people with osteoarthritis that address cognitions are likely to be more effective than those that address impairment only. Further within-individual investigation, including testing mediational relationships, is warranted. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? N-of-1 methods have been used to study within-individual predictors of walking in healthy and chronic pain populations An integrated biomedical and behavioural model of activity and activity limitations recognizes the roles of impairment and psychology (cognitions) Interventions modifying cognitions can increase physical activity in people with mobility limitations What does this study add? N-of-1 methods are suitable to study within-individual predictors of walking and interventions in osteoarthritis An integrated and a psychological model are better predictors of walking in osteoarthritis than a biomedical model There was no support for an individually tailored, data-driven walking interventio

Supporting social innovation through visualisations of community interactions

Online communities that form through the introduction of sociotechnical platforms require significant effort to cultivate and sustain. Providing open, transparent information on community behaviour can motivate participation from community members themselves, while also providing platform administrators with detailed interaction dynamics. However, challenges arise in both understanding what information is conducive to engagement and sustainability, and then how best to represent this information to platform stakeholders. Towards a better understanding of these challenges, we present the design, implementation, and evaluation of a set of simple visualisations integrated into a Collective Awareness Platform for Social Innovation platform titled commonfare.net. We discuss the promise and challenge of bringing social innovation into the digital age, in terms of supporting sustained platform use and collective action, and how the introduction of community visualisations has been directed towards achieving this goal

Towards a Formal Verification Methodology for Collective Robotic Systems

We introduce a UML-based notation for graphically modeling systems’ security aspects in a simple and intuitive way and a model-driven process that transforms graphical specifications of access control policies in XACML. These XACML policies are then translated in FACPL, a policy language with a formal semantics, and the resulting policies are evaluated by means of a Java-based software tool

Note on Constrained Cohomology

The cohomology of the BRS operator corresponding to a group of rigid symmetries is studied in a space of local field functionals subjected to a condition of gauge invariance. We propose a procedure based on a filtration operator counting the degree in the infinitesimal parameters of the rigid symmetry transformations. An application to Witten's topological Yang-Mills theory is given.Comment: appendix and refs adde

Measuring the initial social sustainability impacts of estate regeneration: a case study of Acton Gardens, London

In the context of UK housebuilding this paper explores and critically reviews the initial measurement of social sustainability in the first phase of a new housing project on a large estate regeneration development in South Acton, London (conducted in March–April 2015). The research uses an existing “ex post” social sustainability framework adopted for use in other new UK housing projects and also examines local residents’ attitudes to the first phase of the estate regeneration. The social sustainability assessment framework (created to reflect a UK housebuilder's perspective) is based on the analysis and comparison of a range of national datasets and interviews and survey work with new and existing residents and other stakeholders on the estate, and the surrounding areas. The research shows stronger ratings for a number of physical improvements in the new development, but weaker scores for local identity and links with neighbours. The research also shows a mixed picture in their attitudes towards the urban regeneration. The paper provides a critical discussion of the results and the framework, and concludes by setting out the lessons learned from the research for social sustainability assessment. The research will be useful for practitioners, housebuilders and policy makers involved in housing, and those with a wider interest in community wellbeing

Disability and physical activity behaviours : an application of theoretical frameworks

Background: The prevalence of disability increases with age; therefore with an aging population, interventions to reduce disability are crucial. This thesis adopts a behavioural conceptualisation of disability. The theoretical frameworks of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and the integrated ICF/TPB model are applied to investigate disability and physical activity (PA) behaviours. The thesis aims to: (1) identify the factors involved in the prioritisation of patients for total joint replacement; (2) classify patient pre-operative expectations of total hip replacement (THR) and investigate the relationship between expectations and recovery after surgery, and; (3) test whether the TPB and theory-based interventions can predict and explain PA within individuals. Method: Five studies were conducted. In the first study, health professionals judged whether the items from two prioritisation tools measured each of the ICF constructs. In the second study, surgeons ranked patient vignettes, which differed by constructs from the integrated model, in order of priority for THR. In the third study, a large cohort of THR patients reported expectations of surgery pre-operatively. Health and functioning were also reported pre-operatively and 1-year post-operatively. The fourth and fifth studies were a series of experimental n-of-1 studies using diary methods assessing TPB cognitions and PA behaviours. Results: There is a lack of agreement between judges in relation to the content of many of the items from prioritisation tools. Behavioural and psychological factors can influence prioritisation for THR. The majority of patient expectations of THR addressed activities and social participation; however, the evidence for a relationship between expectations and recovery was limited. The TPB can predict PA within some individuals but the evidence in support of interventions to increase PA was limited. Discussion: The findings provide important clinical and theoretical implications for understanding disability and physical activity behaviours.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Late gadolinium enhancement is common in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and no clinical risk factors for sudden cardiac death: A single center experience

Background: Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is used in the diagnosis and risk stratification of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and can detect myocardial replacement fibrosis (anindependent predictor of adverse cardiac outcomes) using late gadolinium enhancement (LGE).Methods: We retrospectively analysed CMR studies carried out over a 2 year period identifying those which were diagnostic of HCM. 117 cases were analysed. Mean age of subjects was 53 years and 78 (67%) were male. Mean ejection fraction (EF) was 68.3% with a mean left ventricular (LV) mass index of 89.4 g/m2. Hypertrophy was predominantly asymmetric in 94 (80%).Results: All subjects received gadolinium and 80 (68%) had evidence of LGE. LVEF was lower (67 vs. 71%; p = 0.015) and LV mass index higher (94 vs. 81 g/m2; p = 0.007) in the LGE group. The proportion of patients with at least 1 clinical risk factor for sudden cardiac death (SCD) was similar in groups with and without LGE (48% vs. 32%; p = 0.160). In this study, a significant proportion (62%) of patients without clinical risk factors for SCD were found to have LGE on CMR. These patients would not currently be considered for therapy with an implantable cardiac defibrillator.Conclusions: 1. Patients with HCM are at increased risk of SCD, but identifying patients who may benefit from implantable defibrillators is difficult. 2. LGE is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes in HCM, but is present in a large proportion of patients. 3. Many patients without clinical risk factors for SCD have LGE and would not currently be considered for an implantable cardiac device