An innately dangerous balancing act: intestinal homeostasis, inflammation, and colitis-associated cancer

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by dysregulated immune responses to the intestinal microbiota, and by chronic intestinal inflammation. Several recent studies demonstrate the importance of innate microbial recognition by immune and nonimmune cells in the gut. Paradoxically, either diminished or exacerbated innate immune signaling may trigger the breakdown of intestinal homeostasis, leading to IBD and colitis-associated cancer (CAC). This dichotomy may reflect divergent functional roles for immune sensing in intestinal epithelial cells and leukocytes, which may vary with distinct disease mechanisms

Residual stresses in condition monitoring and repair of thermal power generation components

Residual stresses have a significant impact on fatigue and fracture of engineering components and structures, with an effect that is largely dependent on the sign of the residual stress relative to that of the applied stress, i.e. on whether they add to, or subtract from, the applied stress. The present paper will emphasise the importance of detailed knowledge of residual stresses to applications in thermal power generation. The context of the examples is condition monitoring and repair procedures where assessment of the influence of residual stress fields is important to both fatigue and fracture performance, and to certification of the repair procedure itself. The main conclusion in the paper is that the innovative use of solid-state friction taper hydro-pillar processes can offer additional capability in condition monitoring of through-thickness creep damage in thermal power plant, as well as provide cost-effective local repair of creep or fatigue damage in, for example, thick-walled steam pipe and blade-disc attachment holes

Social Capital Determinants and Labor Market Networks

We explore the links between determinants of social capital and labor market networks at the neighborhood level. We harness rich data taken from multiple sources, including matched employer-employee data with which we measure the strength of labor market networks, data on neighborhood homogeneity that has previously been tied to social capital, and new data – not previously used in the study of social capital – on the number and location of non-profit sector establishments at the neighborhood level. We use a machine learning algorithm to identify the potential determinants of social capital that best predict neighborhood-level variation in labor market networks. We find evidence suggesting that smaller and less centralized schools, and schools with fewer poor students, foster social capital that builds local labor market networks, as does a larger Republican vote share. The presence of establishments in a number of non-profit-oriented industries are identified as predictive of strong labor market networks, likely because they either provide public goods or facilitate social contacts. These industries include, for example, churches and other religious institutions, fire and rescue services including volunteer fire departments, country clubs and golf courses, labor unions, chamber music groups, hobby clubs, and schools

Reviews

The following publications have been reviewed by the mentioned authors;Let's Go Bananas with Fyffes - reviewed by Melanie FasciatoLiquids Mean Life - reviewed by Jonty KinsellaDesign and Make It! Food Technology for KS3 - reviewed by Dawn WilliamsFidget - reviewed by George AsquithFinding out about Managing Waste - reviewed by Ann MacGarryHands on! - reviewed by Les PorterSkills in Graphic Products and Teacher's Resource Pack - reviewed by Michael LawranceResistant Materials to GCSE - reviewed by Roman M. GawelInventing the Modern World - reviewed by David SpendloveC for PICmicro Microcontrollers - reviewed by David FosterHow Things Work Today - reviewed by Mark HudsonMachi-work: Education for Participation - reviewed by Maggie RogersOne Good Turn - reviewed by John Egglesto

W(h)ither the academy? An exploration of the role of university social work in shaping the future of social work in Europe

A controversial proposal to pilot the training of child protection social workers through an intensive work-based route in England is being supported and funded by the UK Government. Frontline, the brainchild of a former teacher, locates social work training within local authorities (‘the agency’) rather than university social work departments (‘the academy’) and has stimulated debate amongst social work academics about their role in shaping the direction of the profession. As a contribution to this debate, this paper explores the duality of social work education, which derives its knowledge from both the academic social sciences and the experience of practice within social work agencies. While social work education has traditionally been delivered by the academy, this paper also explores whether the delivery of training in the allied professions of probation and nursing by ‘the agency’ is equally effective. Finally, this paper explores the Helsinki model which achieves a synergy of ‘academy’ and ‘agency’. It suggests that there are alternative models of social work education, practice and research which avoid dichotomies between the ‘academy’ and the ‘agency’ and enable the profession to be shaped by both social work academics and practitioners

Is there scope for community health nurses to address lifestyle risk factors? : the community nursing SNAP trial

Background: This paper examines the opportunity and need for lifestyle interventions for patients attending generalist community nursing services in Australia. This will help determine the scope for risk factor management within community health care by generalist community nurses (GCNs).Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study conducted in four generalist community nursing services in NSW, Australia. Prior to service contacts, clients were offered a computer-assisted telephone interview to collect baseline data on socio-demographics, health conditions, smoking status, physical activity levels, alcohol consumption, height and weight, fruit and vegetable intake and 'readiness-to-change' for lifestyle risk factors.Results: 804 clients participated (a response rate of 34.1%). Participants had higher rates of obesity (40.5% vs 32.1%) and higher prevalence of multiple risk factors (40.4% vs 29.5%) than in the general population. Few with a SNAPW (Smoking-Nutrition-Alcohol-Physical-Activity-Weight) risk factor had received advice or referral in the previous 3 months. The proportion of clients identified as at risk and who were open to change (i.e. contemplative, in preparation or in action phase) were 65.0% for obese/overweight; 73.8% for smokers; 48.2% for individuals with high alcohol intake; 83.5% for the physically inactive and 59.0% for those with poor nutrition.Conclusions: There was high prevalence of lifestyle risk factors. Although most were ready to change, few clients recalled having received any recent lifestyle advice. This suggests that there is considerable scope for intervention by GCNs. The results of this trial will shed light on how best to implement the lifestyle risk factor management in routine practice