514 research outputs found
Semiautomated text analytics for qualitative data synthesis
Approaches to synthesizing qualitative data have, to date, largely focused on
integrating the findings from published reports. However, developments in text
mining software offer the potential for efficient analysis of large pooled primary
qualitative datasets. This case study aimed to (a) provide a step‐by‐step guide to
using one software application, Leximancer, and (b) interrogate opportunities
and limitations of the software for qualitative data synthesis. We applied
Leximancer v4.5 to a pool of five qualitative, UK‐based studies on transportation
such as walking, cycling, and driving, and displayed the findings of the
automated content analysis as intertopic distance maps. Leximancer enabled
us to “zoom out” to familiarize ourselves with, and gain a broad perspective
of, the pooled data. It indicated which studies clustered around dominant topics
such as “people.” The software also enabled us to “zoom in” to narrow the
perspective to specific subgroups and lines of enquiry. For example, “people”
featured in men's and women's narratives but were talked about differently,
with men mentioning “kids” and “old,” whereas women mentioned “things”
and “stuff.” The approach provided us with a fresh lens for the initial inductive
step in the analysis process and could guide further exploration. The limitations
of using Leximancer were the substantial data preparation time involved and the
contextual knowledge required from the researcher to turn lines of inquiry into
meaningful insights. In summary, Leximancer is a useful tool for contributing
to qualitative data synthesis, facilitating comprehensive and transparent data
coding but can only inform, not replace, researcher‐led interpretive work
Affine configurations and pure braids
We show that the fundamental group of the space of ordered affine-equivalent
configurations of at least five points in the real plane is isomorphic to the
pure braid group modulo its centre. In the case of four points this fundamental
group is free with eleven generators.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure, final version; to appear in Discrete &
Computational Geometry, available from the publishers at
http://www.springerlink.com/content/384516n7q24811ph
A novel cellular pathway of antigen presentation and CD4 T cell activation in vivo
Dendritic cell activation of CD4 T cells in the lymph node draining a site of infection or vaccination is widely considered the central event in initiating adaptive immunity. The accepted dogma is that this occurs by stimulating local activation and antigen acquisition by dendritic cells, with subsequent lymph node migration, however the generalizability of this mechanism is unclear. Here we show that in some circumstances antigen can bypass the injection site inflammatory response, draining freely and rapidly to the lymph nodes where it interacts with subcapsular sinus (SCS) macrophages resulting in their death. Debris from these dying SCS macrophages is internalized by monocytes recruited from the circulation. This coordinated response leads to antigen presentation by monocytes and interactions with naïve CD4 T cells that can drive the initiation of T cell and B cell responses. These studies demonstrate an entirely novel pathway leading to initiation of adaptive immune responses in vivo
Garside and quadratic normalisation: a survey
Starting from the seminal example of the greedy normal norm in braid monoids,
we analyse the mechanism of the normal form in a Garside monoid and explain how
it extends to the more general framework of Garside families. Extending the
viewpoint even more, we then consider general quadratic normalisation
procedures and characterise Garside normalisation among them.Comment: 30 page
Abelian subgroups of Garside groups
In this paper, we show that for every abelian subgroup of a Garside
group, some conjugate consists of ultra summit elements and the
centralizer of is a finite index subgroup of the normalizer of .
Combining with the results on translation numbers in Garside groups, we obtain
an easy proof of the algebraic flat torus theorem for Garside groups and solve
several algorithmic problems concerning abelian subgroups of Garside groups.Comment: This article replaces our earlier preprint "Stable super summit sets
in Garside groups", arXiv:math.GT/060258
The aorta can act as a site of naïve CD4+ T-cell priming
Aims: Aortic adaptive immunity plays a role in atherosclerosis; however, the precise mechanisms leading to T-cell activation in the arterial wall remain poorly understood. Methods and results: Here, we have identified naïve T cells in the aorta of wild-Type and T-cell receptor transgenic mice and we demonstrate that naïve T cells can be primed directly in the vessel wall with both kinetics and frequency of T-cell activation found to be similar to splenic and lymphoid T cells. Aortic homing of naïve T cells is regulated at least in part by the P-selectin glycosylated ligand-1 receptor. In experimental atherosclerosis the aorta supports CD4+ T-cell activation selectively driving Th1 polarization. By contrast, secondary lymphoid organs display Treg expansion. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that the aorta can support T-cell priming and that naïve T cells traffic between the circulation and vessel wall. These data underpin the paradigm that local priming of T cells specific for plaque antigens contributes to atherosclerosis progression
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Ownership, financial strategy and performance: the Lancashire cotton textile industry, 1918–1938
This article assesses the validity of John Maynard Keynes' claim that the Lancashire cotton industry failed to restructure because the banks as debt holders prevented firms exiting the industry, creating persistent over-capacity. Using case studies from a substantial sample of Lancashire firms, the article explores archival evidence to establish their financial characteristics, to examine their equity and debt finance and the governance roles of directors and outside ownerhip groups. On the basis of this review the article develops hypotheses to suggest alternatives to the view that bank debt was the dominant explantion of firm level behaviour and industry failure. Applying these to a statistical dataset, results show that syndicates of local shareholders, not banks, were an important impediment to the exit of firms. Moreover, syndicates milked firms of any profits through dividends, thereby limiting reinvestment and re-equipment possibilities. Our results show that where laissez-faire fails in response to a crisis, incumbent investors, particularly block-holders, can be an important impediment to corporate restructuring
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The mental health of ex-prisoners: analysis of the 2014 English National Survey of Psychiatric Morbidity
Purpose
Prisoners experience extremely high rates of psychiatric disturbance. However, ex-prisoners have never previously been identified in representative population surveys to establish how far this excess persists after release. Our purpose was to provide the first community-based estimate of ex-prisoners’ mental health in England using the data from the 2014 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey (APMS).
Methods
APMS 2014 provides cross-sectional data from a random sample (N = 7546) of England’s household population aged 16 or above. Standardised instruments categorised psychiatric disorders and social circumstances. Participants who had been in prison were compared with the rest of the sample.
Results
One participant in seventy had been in prison (1.4%; 95% CI 1.1–1.7; n = 103). Ex-prisoners suffered an excess of current psychiatric problems, including common mental disorders (CMDs), psychosis, post-traumatic disorder, substance dependence, and suicide attempts. They were more likely to screen positive for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autistic traits, to have low verbal IQ, and to lack qualifications. They disclosed higher rates of childhood adversity, including physical and sexual abuse and local authority care. The odds (1.88; 95% CI 1.02–3.47) of CMDs were nearly doubled in ex-prisoners, even after adjusting for trauma and current socioeconomic adversity.
Conclusions
Prison experience is a marker of enduring psychiatric vulnerability, identifying an important target population for intervention and support. Moreover, the psychiatric attributes of ex-prisoners provide the context for recidivism. Without effective liaison between the criminal justice system and mental health services, the vulnerability of ex-prisoners to relapse and to reoffending will continue, with consequent personal and societal costs
What are the effects of nature conservation on human well-being? A systematic map of empirical evidence from developing countries
This is the final version of the article. Available from BioMed Central via the DOI in this record.Background: Global policy initiatives and international conservation organizations have sought to emphasize and strengthen the link between the conservation of natural ecosystems and human development. While many indices have been developed to measure various social outcomes to conservation interventions, the quantity and strength of evidence to support the effects, both positive and negative, of conservation on different dimensions of human well-being, remain unclear, dispersed and inconsistent. Methods: We searched 11 academic citation databases, two search engines and 30 organisational websites for relevant articles using search terms tested with a library of 20 relevant articles. Key informants were contacted with requests for articles and possible sources of evidence. Articles were screened for relevance against predefined inclusion criteria at title, abstract and full text levels according to a published protocol. Included articles were coded using a questionnaire. A critical appraisal of eight systematic reviews was conducted to assess the reliability of methods and confidence in study findings. A visual matrix of the occurrence and extent of existing evidence was also produced. Results: A total of 1043 articles were included in the systematic map database. Included articles measured effects across eight nature conservation-related intervention and ten human well-being related outcome categories. Linkages between interventions and outcomes with high occurrence of evidence include resource management interventions, such as fisheries and forestry, and economic and material outcomes. Over 25 % of included articles examined linkages between protected areas and aspects of economic well-being. Fewer than 2 % of articles evaluated human health outcomes. Robust study designs were limited with less than 9 % of articles using quantitative approaches to evaluate causal effects of interventions. Over 700 articles occurred in forest biomes with less than 50 articles in deserts or mangroves, combined. Conclusions: The evidence base is growing on conservation-human well-being linkages, but biases in the extent and robustness of articles on key linkages persist. Priorities for systematic review, include linkages between marine resource management and economic/material well-being outcomes; and protected areas and governance outcomes. Greater and more robust evidence is needed for many established interventions to better understand synergies and trade-offs between interventions, in particular those that are emerging or contested.This study was made possible by a grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to Conservation International (Grant No. 3519). This research was conducted by the Evidence-based Conservation Working Group and financially supported in part by SNAP: Science for Nature and People, a collaboration of The Nature Conservancy, the Wildlife Conservation Society and the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS)
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