Brazil's Bolsa Familia Programme: Aspirations and Realities of Poverty Reduction and Intergenerational Change

This article considers the transformative potential of conditional cash transfers to address intergenerational poverty. Drawing on empirical evidence collected through qualitative research in the northeast of Brazil, it traces notions of intergenerational change and continuity amongst young recipients of the Bolsa Família programme (BFP) and their families. It argues that the BFP has contributed to raising expectations and aspirations of social mobility, through a policy narrative that explicitly links education to poverty reduction alongside some relatively limited but nonetheless significant intergenerational changes in material conditions and access to education. However, rising aspirations have not been matched by a concomitant expansion of opportunities available to poor young people in education and the labour market. The article thus highlights the contradictions that arise between policy narratives, the aspirations these narratives engender, and the realities of young people's everyday lives

Getting in, being heard, and influencing change:The labours of policy engagement in employment and social security research

UK employment policy is at a critical juncture; the effects of Covid-19 and Brexit on the labour market have heightened pre-existing and created new employment and income inequalities. Such experiences (and related temporary government policy responses) play out alongside the long-term roll-out of Universal Credit, a social security policy that imposes conditionality on a range of individuals, including people who are in work. As Universal Credit has the potential to transform power dynamics between individuals, the state and employers, revisiting and questioning the direction of Active Labour Market Policies (ALMPs) should unite the interests of diverse social security and employment researchers (including scholars of Human Resource Management, Sociology of Work and Industrial Relations). Policymakers should draw on an abundance of research to reform the UK’s ALMPs and avoid replicating the problems of narrowly conceived work-first programmes and practices. In this chapter, we explore the role of social policy researchers in influencing policy change, reflecting on our own experiences as early career researchers. We advocate a ‘pragmatic realist’ approach to policy engagement and reflect on different approaches to operating at the evidence-policy interface. While we advocate for social policy researchers to engage with research methods and knowledge exchange practices to increase the uptake of research and expertise, we do not believe this is a one-way process and we also contend that policymakers and practitioners have a responsibility to open up to critical evaluation and policy insights from the social policy community

The effect of dual inoculation (Seimatosporium species with/without GTD fungi) on lesion length (symptom expression) in Sauvignon Blanc vines

In a survey of the endophytic fungal diversity associated with grapevines symptomatic or asymptomatic for grapevine trunk-diseases (GTDs) carried out in Marlborough, New Zealand in 2018, several fungal pathogens were isolated. Among these, members of the Botryosphaeriaceae family, Neofusicoccum parvum (from symptomatic vines) and Diplodia seriata (from both symptomatic and asymptomatic vines) were recovered. These pathogens are considered latent and virulent GTDs. Additionally, two Seimatosporium species, S. vitis and S. lichenicola, were recovered for the first time associated with GTD fungi in New Zealand vines. Both species were isolated from symptomatic and asymptomatic tissues, but their role as pathogens and interaction within GTD complexes is unclear. This study investigated the interaction between these Seimatosporium spp. and N. parvum or D. seriata in the GTD complex and the effect on symptom expression. The outcomes of in planta dual inoculation experiments between Seimatosporium spp. and N. parvum or D. seriata isolated from the same wood cankers were evaluated. Detached Sauvignon blanc grapevine green shoots and two-year-old woody stems of potted grapevines were wounded and co-inoculated with mycelial colonised agar discs of S. vitis or S. lichenicola and N. parvum or D. seriata. Controls consisted of each fungal species inoculated alone. After 2 weeks for detached shoots and 4 months for attached shoots, lesion length and colonisation distance by re-isolation were assessed. In both assays, there were differences in the lesion lengths and pathogen movement for co inoculation of both Seimatosporium spp. with N. parvum. In contrast, co-inoculation of either Seimatosporium spp. with D. seriata did not develop a lesion, although D. seriata were recovered at a distance of 5 cm upward and downward from the inoculation point. No lesions developed with D. seriata, S. vitis, or S. lichenicola inoculation alone. Our finding confirm that Seimatosporium spp. are involved in the GTD complex

Antiepileptic drug transport at the blood-brain barrier, the role of the SLC transporter family

The transporter hypothesis has been postulated to explain pharmacoresistance in epilepsy. Despite over a decade of research surrounding the drug transporter hypothesis, the role that solute carrier (SLC) transporters might play in this theory remains largely unaddressed. Hence, the major focus of this thesis was to investigate and identify SLC transporter systems of interest that are expressed at the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and to determine which, if any, of commonly prescribed antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are substrates for such transporter systems. Characterisation of AED transport was undertaken using widely reported model systems such as Xenopus laevis oocytes and the human cerebral microvascular endothelial cell line (hCMEC/D3), together with novel stably-transfected MDCK II cell lines. Organic anion transporter 1A2 (OATP1A2), the monocarboxylate transporter (MCT) family and the organic anion transporter (OAT) family were specifically selected for investigation. Valproic acid and gabapentin showed the greatest evidence for SLC-mediated transport by OAT1/OAT3 and MCT1 respectively, while other compounds were largely unremarkable in this respect. Valproic acid transport increased OAT1 overexpressing cells compared to control but decreased in OAT3 overexpressing cells. Gabapentin uptake increased in MCT1 transfected Xenopus laevis oocytes and was shown to decrease in hCMEC/D3 cells in the presence of a panel of MCT inhibitors. The induction/suppression of expression of SLC transporters by AEDs was explored in the hCMEC/D3 cell line, in an attempt to understand how AEDs might influence the functionality of endogenous transport pathways. A number of AEDs were observed to induce/suppress expression of transporter genes involved in transport and detoxification. A further study explored the fundamental physiochemical properties of AEDs, which is relevant to their penetration into the brain. A number of AEDs, including lamotrigine, gabapentin and topiramate, observe adequate uptake in the hCMEC/D3 model of the BBB despite having physiochemical properties, such as a high polar surface area and negative log D value which may limit passive entry into the brain. This would suggest that a carrier mediated system may be involved in the uptake of these drugs into the brain. The work described in this thesis has shown that a number of AEDs may be subject to carrier mediated uptake into the brain. Individual differences in transporter expression at the BBB may be responsible for variability in brain concentrations of AEDs. However, at present, this does not provide us with an adequate explanation for why some people with epilepsy experience pharmacoresistant seizures

Establishing the Effect of Brushing and a Day’s Diet on Tooth Tissue Loss in Vitro

To develop an in vitro model to mimic the effects of meals equivalent to a day’s diet on tooth tissue loss (TTL). To identify how diet effects tooth wear and to test the efficacy of dental products designed to reduce tooth wear in a more realistic environment. A typical Friday diet was devised comprising: Breakfast then brushing, lunch, dinner then brushing. Groups of enamel samples were exposed to one meal, or all three in series, a control group was exposed to water and brushed. The daily cycle was repeated to represent two days’ consumption; TTL was quantified by non-contact profilometry. This pilot study highlighted adaptions that could be made to the model such as human enamel and saliva to further replicate natural eating habits. The sum of the TTL measured after Breakfast, lunch and dinner (bovine enamel specimens exposed to single meals) was less than that exhibited by the group of samples exposed to the series of meals but this difference was not significant (p = 0.09).In the absence and presence of brushing, TTL caused by breakfast and dinner was similar, but significantly greater than that caused by lunch (p < 0.05). While brushing increased TTL, this increase was not significant. It is possible to model a daily diet in vitro, and the data obtained confirms that the combination of food and drink affects the degree of TTL. This supports the further development of an in vitro model that includes alternative foodstuffs. This would aid understanding of the effects different diets have on TTL and could test new products designed to prevent TTL

Time for change: a new training programme for morpho-molecular pathologists?

The evolution of cellular pathology as a specialty has always been driven by technological developments and the clinical relevance of incorporating novel investigations into diagnostic practice. In recent years, the molecular characterisation of cancer has become of crucial relevance in patient treatment both for predictive testing and subclassification of certain tumours. Much of this has become possible due to the availability of next-generation sequencing technologies and the whole-genome sequencing of tumours is now being rolled out into clinical practice in England via the 100 000 Genome Project. The effective integration of cellular pathology reporting and genomic characterisation is crucial to ensure the morphological and genomic data are interpreted in the relevant context, though despite this, in many UK centres molecular testing is entirely detached from cellular pathology departments. The CM-Path initiative recognises there is a genomics knowledge and skills gap within cellular pathology that needs to be bridged through an upskilling of the current workforce and a redesign of pathology training. Bridging this gap will allow the development of an integrated 'morphomolecular pathology' specialty, which can maintain the relevance of cellular pathology at the centre of cancer patient management and allow the pathology community to continue to be a major influence in cancer discovery as well as playing a driving role in the delivery of precision medicine approaches. Here, several alternative models of pathology training, designed to address this challenge, are presented and appraised

Debilitamiento de la educación: evidencia longitudinal multinacional sobre el castigo corporal en las escuelas

Aun cuando ha estado aumentando el número de países que prohíben legalmente el uso de castigo corporal en las escuelas, dicha violencia sigue utilizándose en muchos países, inclusive donde está expresamente proscrito en la legislación. Mientras que los defensores argumentan que es un medio eficaz y no dañino para inculcar disciplina, respeto y obediencia a los niños, los detractores señalan una serie de efectos nocivos, que incluyen lesiones físicas, rendimiento académico deficiente, escasa participación en clase, abandono escolar y disminución del bienestar psicosocial. Utilizando los datos longitudinales del estudio realizado porYoung Lives,1 este informe sintetiza la investigación que examina si el castigo corporal en las escuelas se asocia con efectos duraderos sobre el desarrollo cognitivo de los niños. El informe forma parte del estudio multinacional de UNICEF: Determinantes de la violencia que afecta a la niñez. Observamos que el castigo corporal en las escuelas es muy frecuente, a pesar de la prohibición legal, con niños de corta edad, niños varones y niños pobres en situación de mayor riesgo. El castigo corporal sufrido a los 8 años se asocia con efectos negativos sobre los resultados en las pruebas de matemáticas a los 12 años de edad en la India, el Perú y Vietnam. El efecto negativo asociado al castigo corporal en los resultados en matemáticas de un niño de 12 años equivaldrán a los resultados de niños cuyo cuidador o responsable tuviera de 3 a 6 años menos de formación educativa. La legislación, la formación de los profesores, las cuestiones de género y las normas sociales, además de la mayor priorización nacional e internacional a la hora de combatir la violencia que afecta a los niños, desempeñan un papel importante en la creación de entornos seguros, propicios y favorables para que todo niño pueda realizarse plenamente

Quantifying dispersal in British noctuid moths

Dispersal is an important process in the ecology and evolution of organisms, affecting species’ population dynamics, gene flow, and range size. Around two thirds of common and widespread British macro-moths have declined in abundance over the last 40 years, and dispersal ability may be important in determining whether or not species persist in this changing environment. However, knowledge of dispersal ability in macro-moths is lacking because dispersal is difficult to measure directly in nocturnal flying insects. This thesis investigated the dispersal abilities of British noctuid moths to examine how dispersal ability is related to adult flight morphology and species’ population trends. Noctuid moths are an important taxon to study because of their role in many ecosystem processes (e.g. as pollinators, pests and prey), hence their focus in this study. I developed a novel tethered flight mill technique to quantify the dispersal ability of a range of British noctuid moths (size range 12 – 27 mm forewing length). I demonstrated that this technique provided measures of flight performance in the lab (measures of flight speed and distance flown overnight) that reflected species’ dispersal abilities reported in the wild. I revealed that adult forewing length was a good predictor of inter-specific differences in flight performance among 32 noctuid moth species. I also found high levels of intra-specific variation in flight performance, and both adult flight morphology and resource-related variables (amount of food consumed by individuals prior to flight, mass loss by adults during flight) contributed to this variation. Analysis of Rothamsted Insect Survey data and National Moth Recording Scheme data of changes in moth abundance and distribution patterns in the UK over the past 4 decades provided some evidence that dispersal ability (measures of adult forewing length) contributed to species’ population trends. The analysis indicated that species with intermediate dispersal ability may be declining more than those of either high or low dispersal ability. I conclude that the new tethered flight technique demonstrated in this thesis provides opportunities for multi-species and cross-taxon comparisons of dispersal ability. The utility of wing length as a proxy for dispersal ability may facilitate the inclusion of dispersal information into analyses for a wide range of insects. Dispersal has some effect on moth distribution and abundance changes but other factors such as habitat availability and responses to changing climate are likely to play a role