Reflecting on the Use of Photo-elicitation Methods in IPA Research. Enhancing the Interpretative Lens and Re-balancing Power Back to the Participant. A Review of Published Studies

The use of visual and creative methods, specifically photo-elicitation in qualitative research has seen an increase in popularity in applied social science research, particularly in studies of psychology. This paper considers the evolution of the photograph as a research tool, particularly when combined with one-to-one interviewing. This paper situates the use of the photograph within historical and disciplinary contexts whilst offering new perspectives on its application to psychological fields of study. We argue that there are interesting benefits associated with supplementing qualitative methods such as one-to-one interviews with photographic stimuli. We present a recent systematic review of photo-elicitation used in research which identifies as being informed by Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Interpretative phenomenological Analysis is a particular qualitative approach which aims produce an account of lived experience. It is often unconcerned by adhering to the application of pre-existing theoretical preconceptions and instead offers an inductive, iterative and highly idiographic account of a phenomena of which the participant has direct experience of. This may be phenomena linked to personal changes in health and illness, or even adapting to new learning environments. Central to the purpose of IPA is the recognition that this account of lived experience is an interpretative endeavor between both participant and analyst. We argue that this need for interpretation and co-construction offers space for creative methods to ‘bridge the gap’ between simply describing a phenomena and entering into the symbolic, metaphorical interpretative world of meaning making which pushes IPA research from mediocrity to excellence. In this review we aimed to capture information related to the use of photographic methods in IPA research with particular interest in exploring the body of published work across the following protocols; 1) sample for inclusion, 2) domain of study, 3) orientation of research questions, 4) design features, 5) variation of photo-method, 6) outcomes of research and 7) critical appraisal of study. There are 14 published articles utilising photographs in IPA from 2010-2018. These studies were conducted internationally and reach across different topic domains including health, developmental, education and occupational research. The reviewed studies extend across the age span and there was notable younger age participants involved. Using photographs offered particular advantages in comparison to interview alone. These include; (a) to empower marginalized, ‘hard to reach’ groups (b) to facilitate in-depth interpretative discussions of abstract, ‘metaphorical’ concepts, sensitive issues (c) to synthesise data with other methods to strengthen and d) enhance trustworthiness of findings. There was considerable variation in how photographs were ‘produced’ ranging from photos, ‘elicited’ by participants or as a secondary artefact produced by researcher as a stimulus for discussion. Visual methods using photographs vary, and include photo-narratives, photo-journals, photo-montage, photo-questionnaires. We situation our review within fast moving changes and opportunities for this method within a wider ‘open science’ framework and also pay particular attention to exploring ethical issues to ensure confidentiality, consent, privacy and wider 2018 General Data Protection Regulation adherence

Optimising coronary reperfusion in acute myocardial infarction: the role of primary angioplasty

PhDThrombolysis remains the predominant reperfusion strategy for ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in the United Kingdom. Although primary angioplasty may offer superior outcomes, the logistics of delivering this therapy in the UK have not been investigated. This thesis describes the development of a pilot primary angioplasty service in North East London. Outcomes are compared with the thrombolytic strategy, and platelet activation is explored as a possible biological mechanism determining reperfusion. The impact of the thrombolytic strategy on revascularisation following STEMI in North East London was first investigated. Thrombolytic delivery was effective, but necessitated frequent early revascularisation, leading to prolonged hospital stay. A primary angioplasty service was developed at the cardiac centre, and expanded to serve six network hospitals. Within the limitations of a daytime pilot, the service improved clinical outcomes, and was associated with a substantial reduction in hospital stay. Two admission strategies were compared - direct access to the cardiac centre following pre-hospital diagnosis by ambulance crews, and transfer of patients presenting to network emergency (A&E) departments after upstream administration of abciximab and clopidogrel. Direct access significantly reduced reperfusion times. Upstream anti-platelet therapy improved angiographic reperfusion prior to primary angioplasty, possibly compensating for inter hospital transfer delays. A subgroup of STEMI patients underwent platelet activation studies. Lower baseline platelet monocyte aggregate (PMA) levels predicted improved angiographic reperfusion following primary angioplasty, supporting the concept that PMAs may reflect plaque rupture severity, and may promote microvascular 2 dysfunction. Early anti-platelet therapy reduced PMAs following intervention, which may explain the benefit of early abciximab observed in clinical trials. In summary this thesis has demonstrated that primary angioplasty can be del ivered safely and eff ectively in North East London. The eff icacy of reperf usion may be determined by mechanisms involving platelet activation. Delivery of a 24 hour seven day service should now be addressed

Doctor of Philosophy

dissertationThe primate auditory system is responsible for analyzing complex patterns of pressure differences and then synthesizing this information into a behaviorally relevant representation of the external world. How the auditory cortex accomplishes this complex task is unknown. This thesis examines the neural mechanisms underlying auditory perception in the primate auditory cortex, focusing on the neural representation of communication sounds. This thesis is composed of three studies of auditory cortical processing in the macaque and human. The first examines coding in primary and tertiary auditory cortex as it relates to the possibility for developing a stimulating auditory neural prosthesis. The second study applies an information theoretic approach to understanding information transfer between primary and tertiary auditory cortex. The final study examines visual influences on human tertiary auditory cortical processing during illusory audiovisual speech perception. Together, these studies provide insight into the cortical physiology underlying sound perception and insight into the creation of a stimulating cortical neural prosthesis for the deaf

Issue Brief: Immigration and Socioeconomic Status

This issue brief discusses the influence of socioeconomic status on immigrants to the U.S., including factors regarding the motivation for immigration, class stratification, discrepancies in integration, and patterns of socioeconomic segregation

The nuclear pattern and fiber connections of certain basal telencephalic centers in the macaque

No Abstract.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/49942/1/900820302_ftp.pd

Next Generation of Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Therapy: Targeted and Immuno-Therapies

Lung cancer is one of the deadliest cancers in the world. Current clinical trials are focused on developing the next generation of therapies that target novel anti-cancer mechanisms. One approach is to prime the immune system, as the cancer has been known to suppress immune cells in the tumour microenvironment. Using pharmacotherapy, the immune system can be unleashed and suppress the cancer’s growth. Another pathway is targeting known oncogenic genes that are important for the cancer’s growth and survival. In lung cancer, the epidermal growth factor receptor and several other mutated proteins are targets of small-molecule inhibitors that have been shown to drastically improve patient survival and quality of life. Discussed in this review are broad highlights of the different immunotherapies and small molecule targeted therapies that have been studied in the latest clinical trials for lung cancer

An X-Ray Study of the Supernova Remnant G290.1-0.8

G290.1-0.8 (MSH 11-61A) is a supernova remnant (SNR) whose X-ray morphology is centrally bright. However, unlike the class of X-ray composite SNRs whose centers are dominated by nonthermal emission, presumably driven by a central pulsar, we show that the X-ray emission from G290.1-0.8 is thermal in nature, placing the remnant in an emerging class which includes such remnants as W44, W28, 3C391, and others. The evolutionary sequence which leads to such X-ray properties is not well understood. Here we investigate two scenarios for such emission: evolution in a cloudy interstellar medium, and early-stage evolution of a remnant into the radiative phase, including the effects of thermal conduction. We construct models for these scenarios in an attempt to reproduce the observed center-filled X-ray properties of G290.1-0.8, and we derive the associated age, energy, and ambient density conditions implied by the models. We find that for reasonable values of the explosion energy, the remnant age is of order (1 - 2) x 10^{4} yr. This places a fairly strong constraint on any association between G290.1-0.8 and PSR J1105-610, which would require an anomalously large velocity for the pulsar.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, ApJ, accepte

Background Studies for the Neutral Current Detector Array in the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

An array of 3He-filled proportional counters will be used in the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory to measure the neutral-current interaction of neutrinos and deuterium. We describe the backgrounds to this detection method.Comment: Accepted for publication in the proceedings of TAUP99. 2 page

The telencephalon of the bat. I. The non-cortical nuclear masses and certain pertinent fiber connections

No Abstract.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/49917/1/900650115_ftp.pd

Virus taxonomy: the database of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV)

The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) is charged with the task of developing, refining, and maintaining a universal virus taxonomy. This task encompasses the classification of virus species and higher-level taxa according to the genetic and biological properties of their members; naming virus taxa; maintaining a database detailing the currently approved taxonomy; and providing the database, supporting proposals, and other virus-related information from an open-access, public web site. The ICTV web site (http://ictv.global) provides access to the current taxonomy database in online and downloadable formats, and maintains a complete history of virus taxa back to the first release in 1971. The ICTV has also published the ICTV Report on Virus Taxonomy starting in 1971. This Report provides a comprehensive description of all virus taxa covering virus structure, genome structure, biology and phylogenetics. The ninth ICTV report, published in 2012, is available as an open-access online publication from the ICTV web site. The current, 10th report (http://ictv.global/report/), is being published online, and is replacing the previous hard-copy edition with a completely open access, continuously updated publication. No other database or resource exists that provides such a comprehensive, fully annotated compendium of information on virus taxa and taxonomy