The Evolution of a Collective Response to Rural Underdevelopment

Versions of this paper were presented at The National Jobs Conference, April 23rd, 2010, Dunhill Ecopark, Ballyphilip, Co. Waterford and at the 2nd Irish Rural Studies Symposium, August 31st 2010, University College Cork. Thanks are due for comments and suggestions received from participants at both events.The downturn in the Irish economy coupled with high levels of unemployment has focused attention on the need to promote economic development throughout the economy. This paper provides case study evidence on one successful approach to rural economic development by outlining the evolution, outcomes and key capabilities involved in a collective action response to the challenge of rural underdevelopment in North West Connemara. Reviewing a fifty year period, the case study shows that collective action in the region has not only been a series of events, but more crucially from a development perspective, it is embedded as an institution and a process. Therefore, as a result of learning by this community over a fifty year period, a collective action response has evolved as a key strategy to overcome government and market failure in relation to rural development. This case provides a good example to other communities of how locality can be drawn upon and used as an advantage in an increasingly globalised environment and how a local community can seek to ameliorate the negative aspects of globalisation by harnessing its local resources. In broad policy terms, the implication is that there are public good benefits to be gained from assisting and encouraging local communities through the provision of finance and capability building support, to deliver collective action responses to their particular challenges

Diverse populations of T cells with NK cell receptors accumulate in the human intestine in health and in colorectal cancer

T cells expressing NK cell receptors (NKR) display rapid MHC-unrestricted cytotoxicity and potent cytokine secretion and are thought to play roles in immunity against tumors. We have quantified and characterized NKR+ T cells freshly isolated from epithelial and lamina propria layers of duodenum and colon from 16 individuals with no evidence of gastrointestinal disease and from tumor and uninvolved tissue from 19 patients with colorectal cancer. NKR+ T cell subpopulations were differentially distributed in different intestinal compartments, and CD161+ T cells accounted for over one half of T cells at all locations tested. Most intestinal CD161+ T cells expressed § g TCR and either CD4 or CD8. Significant proportions expressed HLA-DR, CD69 and Fas ligand. Upon stimulation in vitro, CD161+ T cells produced IFN- + and TNF- § but not IL-4. NKT cells expressing the V § 24V g 11 TCR, which recognizes CD1d, were virtually absent from the intestine, but colonic cells produced IFN- + in response to the NKT cell agonist ligand § -galactosylceramide. NKR+ T cells were not expanded in colonic tumors compared to adjacent uninvolved tissue. The predominance, heterogeneity and differential distribution of NKR+ T cells at different intestinal locations suggests that they are central to ntestinal immunity

The impact of immediate breast reconstruction on the time to delivery of adjuvant therapy: the iBRA-2 study

Background: Immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) is routinely offered to improve quality-of-life for women requiring mastectomy, but there are concerns that more complex surgery may delay adjuvant oncological treatments and compromise long-term outcomes. High-quality evidence is lacking. The iBRA-2 study aimed to investigate the impact of IBR on time to adjuvant therapy. Methods: Consecutive women undergoing mastectomy ± IBR for breast cancer July–December, 2016 were included. Patient demographics, operative, oncological and complication data were collected. Time from last definitive cancer surgery to first adjuvant treatment for patients undergoing mastectomy ± IBR were compared and risk factors associated with delays explored. Results: A total of 2540 patients were recruited from 76 centres; 1008 (39.7%) underwent IBR (implant-only [n = 675, 26.6%]; pedicled flaps [n = 105,4.1%] and free-flaps [n = 228, 8.9%]). Complications requiring re-admission or re-operation were significantly more common in patients undergoing IBR than those receiving mastectomy. Adjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy was required by 1235 (48.6%) patients. No clinically significant differences were seen in time to adjuvant therapy between patient groups but major complications irrespective of surgery received were significantly associated with treatment delays. Conclusions: IBR does not result in clinically significant delays to adjuvant therapy, but post-operative complications are associated with treatment delays. Strategies to minimise complications, including careful patient selection, are required to improve outcomes for patients

Professional supervision practice under new public management : a study of the perspectives of probation officers and service managers in the community probation service : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Social Policy and Social Work, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

This thesis examines professional supervision practice under new public management from the perspectives of probation officers and service managers in the Community Probation Service. In particular, the research explores the participants’ philosophy of professional supervision, their recent supervision experiences, and their aspirations and expectations with regard to professional supervision. In order to provide a background for an informed analysis and discussion of the research findings, the thesis discusses the key themes in the social service supervision and new public management literature. It also examines the Community Probation Service’s context and the history of new public management and professional supervision in this organisation. The thesis is a qualitative study that is informed by social work practice theory and utilises the phenomenological and hermeneutic approaches. The research findings show that amongst the participants there was: (a) an unclear philosophy of supervision; (b) minimal recent experience of supervision and little ownership or support for the agency supervision project; (c) a belief that the context increased their need for supervision, but at the same time reduced their ability to receive or participate in it; (d) an expectation that professional supervision would assist them to work more effectively with clients and staff; (e) an expectation of good committed supervisors who would support and help them develop; and (f) an expectation that the agency would support professional supervision through resourcing, guidelines, accredited supervisors and the establishment of a learning culture. The major implications of these findings are that: (1) there is a need for staff to be socialised into professional social service supervision; (2) that the professional supervision programme within the Community Probation Service, as currently implemented, is unlikely to be successful; and (3) that professional social service supervision needs to be focused upon persons and their environments, rather than upon the agency

Towards the construction of social work supervision in Aotearoa New Zealand : a study of the perspectives of social work practitioners and supervisors : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

This thesis presents the construction of social work supervision from the perspectives of social work practitioners and supervisors. In particular, the research explored how social work supervision was constructed, the influence of the Aotearoa New Zealand context upon its construction, and where and how social work supervision can most effectively be improved. In order to provide a background for informed analysis and discussion of the research findings, key themes within the international and Aoteaoroa New Zealand supervision literature were discussed. The thesis was a mixed methods study that was informed by a constructionist conceptual framework with regard to the framing and exploration of the research questions. The methodological approach used was derived from pragmatism and involved a combination of survey research with qualitative individual interviews, with the survey being used to recruit and purposefully select participants for the individual interviews. The key findings from the study were: a) social work supervision was predominantly constructed from a professional standpoint, with the social, organisational and interpersonal context influencing how supervision was produced in any setting at anytime; b) the Aotearoa New Zealand context influenced supervision through the discourses of biculturalism and indigenous development, with multiculturalism being a secondary influence; and c) that improvements were needed in the professional and organisational systems that support supervision as well as in the practice and provision of it. The implications and recommendations arising from these findings focus on social work supervision theory and practice, cultural competence and the further development of professional supervision. From these implications it is suggested that the future research and development agenda for social work supervision both internationally and within Aotearoa New Zealand concerns theory-building, responding to the dynamics of culture and difference within supervision and the professionalisation of supervision. The recommendations related to the professionalisation of supervision concern: formal education and training; the role of supervision within organisations and contribution to organisational development; and the need for a stronger evidence-base regarding supervision’s contribution to client practice and social worker well-being and development

Constructing an evidence-informed social work supervision model

10.1080/13691457.2017.1341387European Journal of Social Work213348-35

Diverse populations of T cells with NK cell receptors accumulate in the human intestine in health and in colorectal cancer

T cells expressing NK cell receptors (NKR) display rapid MHC-unrestricted cytotoxicity and potent cytokine secretion and are thought to play roles in immunity against tumors. We have quantified and characterized NKR+ T cells freshly isolated from epithelial and lamina propria layers of duodenum and colon from 16 individuals with no evidence of gastrointestinal disease and from tumor and uninvolved tissue from 19 patients with colorectal cancer. NKR+ T cell subpopulations were differentially distributed in different intestinal compartments, and CD161+ T cells accounted for over one half of T cells at all locations tested. Most intestinal CD161+ T cells expressed § g TCR and either CD4 or CD8. Significant proportions expressed HLA-DR, CD69 and Fas ligand. Upon stimulation in vitro, CD161+ T cells produced IFN- + and TNF- § but not IL-4. NKT cells expressing the V § 24V g 11 TCR, which recognizes CD1d, were virtually absent from the intestine, but colonic cells produced IFN- + in response to the NKT cell agonist ligand § -galactosylceramide. NKR+ T cells were not expanded in colonic tumors compared to adjacent uninvolved tissue. The predominance, heterogeneity and differential distribution of NKR+ T cells at different intestinal locations suggests that they are central to ntestinal immunity

A Standardised Core Outcome Set for Measurement and Reporting Sedentary Behaviour Interventional Research: The CROSBI Consensus Study

Heterogeneity of descriptors and outcomes measured and reported in sedentary behaviour (SB) research hinder the meta-analysis of data and accumulation of evidence. The objective of the Core Research Outcomes for Sedentary Behaviour Interventions (CROSBI) consensus study was to identify and validate, a core outcome set (COS) to report (what, how, when to measure) in interventional sedentary behaviour studies. Outcomes, extracted from a systematic literature review, were categorized into domains and data items (COS v0.0). International experts (n = 5) provided feedback and identified additional items, which were incorporated into COS v0.1. A two round online Delphi survey was conducted to seek consensus from a wider stakeholder group and outcomes that achieved consensus in the second round COS (v0.2), were ratified by the expert panel. The final COS (v1.0) contains 53 data items across 12 domains, relating to demographics, device details, wear-time criteria, wear-time measures, posture-related measures, sedentary breaks, sedentary bouts and physical activity. Notably, results indicate that sedentary behaviour outcomes should be measured by devices that include an inclinometry or postural function. The proposed standardised COS is available openly to enhance the accumulation of pooled evidence in future sedentary behaviour intervention research and practice