Political brand image: an investigation into the operationalisation of the external orientation of David Cameron’s Conservative brand

This paper seeks to address the limited understanding of how to operationalise the external brand image of a political brand. More specifically, this research critically assesses the transfer potential of the six variables of brand image by Bosch, Venter, Han and Boshoff to deconstruct the UK Conservative Party brand from the perspective of young people aged 18–24 years during the 2010 UK General Election campaign. This research demonstrates the applicability of the six variables otherwise known as the ‘brand image framework’ to the political environment. However, the application of the brand image framework in its original conceptualisation proved problematic. Many of the brand image variables were clarified, rearticulated and simplified to address the political context. This refined conceptualisation provided an in-depth understanding of how to investigate the political brand image of David Cameron’s Conservative Party. This study addresses the paucity of research that operationalises external brand image and provides practitioners and academics within and beyond the context of political branding a mechanism to understand the external orientation of brands. This research may also be used by political and non-political brands as a basis to explore external brand image and compare its consistency with internal brand identity

The stigmatisation of people with chronic back pain

This study responded to the need for better theoretical understanding of experiences that shape the beliefs, attitudes and needs of chronic back patients attending pain clinics. The aim was explore and conceptualise the experiences of people of working age who seek help from pain clinics for chronic back pain. Methods. This was a qualitative study, based on an interpretative phenomenological approach (IPA). During in-depth interviews in their homes, participants were invited to 'tell their story' from the time their pain began. Participants were twelve male and six female patients, aged between 28 and 62 years, diagnosed as having chronic benign back pain. All had recently attended one of two pain clinics as new referrals. The interview transcripts were analysed thematically. Findings. Stigmatisation emerged as a key theme from the narrative accounts of participants. The findings expose subtle as well as overt stigmatising responses by family, friends, health professionals and the general public which appeared to have a profound effect on the perceptions, self esteem and behaviours of those interviewed. Conclusions. The findings suggest that patients with chronic back pain feel stigmatised by the time they attend pain clinics and this may affect their attitudes and behaviours towards those offering professional help. Theories of chronic pain need to accommodate these responses, while pain management programmes need to address the realities and practicalities of dealing with stigma in everyday life

Сенсибилизация к аллергенам клещей домашней пыли у детей

ДЫХАТЕЛЬНАЯ ГИПЕРЧУВСТВИТЕЛЬНОСТЬАЛЛЕРГОЗЫ РЕСПИРАТОРНЫЕГИПЕРСЕНСИБИЛИЗАЦИЯ РЕСПИРАТОРНАЯРЕСПИРАТОРНАЯ АЛЛЕРГИЯАЛЛЕРГЕНЫКЛЕЩИ ПЫЛЕВЫЕ ДОМАШНИЕDERMATOPHAGOIDES PTERONYSSINUSDERMATOPHAGOIDES FARINAEСЕНСИБИЛИЗАЦИЯ БИОЛОГИЧЕСКАЯСЕНСИБИЛИЗАЦИЯ К АЛЛЕРГЕНАМДЕТИОБЗОР ЛИТЕРАТУРЫАллергические заболевания представляют серьезную проблему современной медицины. Сенсибилизация к ингаляционным аллергенам является одним из ключевых факторов формирования респираторных аллергозов. Среди аэроаллергенов важное значение играют аллергенные компоненты домашней пыли – клещи Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus и Dermatophagoides farinae, составляющие до 90% акарофауны жилых помещений. В формировании сенсибилизации к клещам домашней пыли также предполагается роль индивидуальных источников аллергенов. Сенсибилизация к мажорным компонентам аллергена клещей домашней пыли ассоциируется с риском развития бронхиальной астмы, к минорным (Der p 10) – риском развития перекрестных реакций с тропомиозином других беспозвоночных, тропомиозином человека. Аллергены клещей домашней пыли (Der p 2 и Der f 2) могут быть ответственны за симптомы оральной клещевой анафилаксии, а также способствовать развитию сенсибилизации к бактериальным антигенам Staphylococcus aureus и Escherichia coli. В 1 части статьи изложены биология и источники клеща домашней пыли. Представлена классификация аллергенов, пути сенсибилизации и распространенность сенсибилизации к клещу домашней пыли у детей.Allergic diseases are a serious problem in modern medicine. Sensitization to inhalation allergens is one of the key factors in the formation of respiratory allergoses. Among aeroallergens, allergenic components of domestic dust play an important role – mites Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farinae, that make up to 90% of the acarofauna of residential premises. In the formation of sensitization to domestic dust mites, the role of individual sources of allergens is also considered. Sensitization to the major components of the domestic dust mite allergens is associated with the risk of developing bronchial asthma, to minor ones (Der p 10) – the risk of cross-reactions with tropomyosin of other invertebrates, human tropomyosin. Domestic dust mite allergens (Der p 2 and Der f 2) may be responsible for the symptoms of oral tick-born anaphylaxis as well as for the development of sensitization to bacterial antigens of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Part 1 of this article outlines biology and sources of the domestic dust mite. The classification of allergens, sensitization pathways and the prevalence of sensitization to domestic dust mite in children are presented

An overview of the first 5 years of the ENIGMA obsessive–compulsive disorder working group: The power of worldwide collaboration

Abstract Neuroimaging has played an important part in advancing our understanding of the neurobiology of obsessive?compulsive disorder (OCD). At the same time, neuroimaging studies of OCD have had notable limitations, including reliance on relatively small samples. International collaborative efforts to increase statistical power by combining samples from across sites have been bolstered by the ENIGMA consortium; this provides specific technical expertise for conducting multi-site analyses, as well as access to a collaborative community of neuroimaging scientists. In this article, we outline the background to, development of, and initial findings from ENIGMA's OCD working group, which currently consists of 47 samples from 34 institutes in 15 countries on 5 continents, with a total sample of 2,323 OCD patients and 2,325 healthy controls. Initial work has focused on studies of cortical thickness and subcortical volumes, structural connectivity, and brain lateralization in children, adolescents and adults with OCD, also including the study on the commonalities and distinctions across different neurodevelopment disorders. Additional work is ongoing, employing machine learning techniques. Findings to date have contributed to the development of neurobiological models of OCD, have provided an important model of global scientific collaboration, and have had a number of clinical implications. Importantly, our work has shed new light on questions about whether structural and functional alterations found in OCD reflect neurodevelopmental changes, effects of the disease process, or medication impacts. We conclude with a summary of ongoing work by ENIGMA-OCD, and a consideration of future directions for neuroimaging research on OCD within and beyond ENIGMA

Beyond the EPR: Complementary roles of the hospital-wide electronic health record and clinical departmental systems

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Many hospital departments have implemented small clinical departmental systems (CDSs) to collect and use patient data for documentation as well as for other department-specific purposes. As hospitals are implementing institution-wide electronic patient records (EPRs), the EPR is thought to be integrated with, and gradually substitute the smaller systems. Many EPR systems however fail to support important clinical workflows. Also, successful integration of systems has proven hard to achieve. As a result, CDSs are still in widespread use. This study was conducted to see which tasks are supported by CDSs and to compare this to the support offered by the EPR.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Semi-structured interviews with users of 16 clinicians using 15 different clinical departmental systems (CDS) at a Medium-sized University hospital in Norway. Inductive analysis of transcriptions from the audio taped interviews.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The roles of CDSs were complementary to those of the hospital-wide EPR system. The use of structured patient data was a characteristic feature. This facilitated quality development and supervision, tasks that were poorly supported by the EPR system. The structuring of the data also improved filtering of information to better support clinical decision-making. Because of the high value of the structured patient data, the users put much effort in maintaining their integrity and representativeness. Employees from the departments were also engaged in the funding, development, implementation and maintenance of the systems.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Clinical departmental systems are vital to the activities of a clinical hospital department. The development, implementation and clinical use of such systems can be seen as bottom-up, user-driven innovations.</p

The bodily presence of significant others: Intensive care patients' experiences in a situation of critical illness

This study is about intensive care patients and the bodily presence of significant others. The aim of the study is to inquire and understand the patients experience of the body in relation to their significant others during critical illness. Open, unstructured, in-depth interviews with six former intensive care patients provide the data for the study. The phenomenological–hermeneutical analysis points to a theme among ICU patients' experience of conflict between proximity and distance during the bodily presence of their relations. Patients experience different and conflicting forms of responses to the presence of their significant others. Patients experience significant positive confirmation but also negation through this presence. In the ICU situation, the reactions of significant others appear difficult to deal with, yet the physical presence is significant for establishing a sense of affinity. Patients seek to take some responsibility for themselves as well as for their relatives, and are met with a whole spectrum of reactions. Intensive care patients experience the need to be actively, physically present, which often creates sharp opposition between their personal needs and the needs of their significant others for active participation

The Transformation of Teaching Habits in Relation to the Introduction of Grading and National Testing in Science Education in Sweden

In Sweden, a new curriculum and new methods of assessment (grading of students and national tests) in science education were introduced in grade 6 in 2012/2013. We have investigated what implications these reforms have for teachers’ teaching and assessment practices in order to explore the question of how teachers transform their teaching habits in relation to policy reforms. Interviews with 16 teachers teaching science in grade 6 (Y6), over 3 years after the reforms were introduced, were analysed. Building on the ideas of John Dewey, we consider teachers’ talk about their everyday practice as expressions of their habits of teaching. Habits of teaching are related both to individual experiences as well as institutional traditions in and about teaching. A categorisation of educational philosophies was used to teachers’ habits of teaching to a collective level and to show how habits can be transformed and developed over time in specific sociocultural contexts. The teachers were categorised as using essentialist and/or progressivist educational philosophy. In the responses to the introduction of grading and national testing, the teachers took three approaches: Their habits being reinforced, revised or unchanged in relation to the reforms. Although the responses were different, a striking similarity was that all teachers justified their responses with wanting to do what is best for students. However, how to show care for students differed, from delivering scientific knowledge in alignment with an essentialist educational philosophy, to preparing students to do well on tests, to supporting their development as individuals, which is in alignment with a progressivist educational philosophy

Reproductive risk factors for endometrial cancer among Polish women

We conducted a population-based case–control study of reproductive factors in Warsaw and Ló∂ź, Poland, in 551 incident endometrial cancer cases and 1925 controls. The reproductive variable most strongly related to risk was multiparity, with subjects with three or more births having a 70% lower risk than the nulliparous women. The reduced risk was particularly strong below 55 years of age. Subjects with older ages at a first birth were also at reduced risk even after adjustment for number of births. Ages at last birth or intervals since last birth were not strongly related to risk. Spontaneous abortions were unrelated to risk, but induced abortions were associated with slight risk increases (odds ratios=1.28, 95% confidence intervals 0.8–2.1 for 3+ vs no abortions). The absence of effects on risk of later ages at, or short intervals since, a last birth fails to support the view that endometrial cancer is influenced by mechanical clearance of initiated cells. Alternative explanations for reproductive effects should be sought, including alterations in endogenous hormones

Becoming an English language teacher:linguistic knowledge, anxieties and the shifting sense of identity

English Language is a fast growing and popular subject at A level but the majority of qualified secondary teachers in the UK have subject expertise and backgrounds in literature. This paper reports on interviews with seven secondary English teachers who discuss the strategies they used when taking on the responsibility of A level English Language teaching for the first time. It highlights the shifting sense of identity that these teachers felt they went through, and as such, explores some emerging issues related to identity from a narrative/personal history perspective. The study reveals that despite feelings of anxiety and low self-confidence, teachers felt that the experience had been a positive one in terms of their own developing identity as an English teacher and had impacted on other aspects of their teaching. The paper raises questions about the value of language-based work for English teachers and has implications for UK initial and continuing teacher education in English