The development of Roma/Gypsy/Traveller identity during the candidacy for EU membership of the Turkish Republic

Drawing on their recent research project for the UK Economic and Social Research Council, the authors will discuss the way in which increasing international NGO activity has sought to identify and advance the the cause of Roma/Gypsy/Traveller groups in Turkey, and how these efforts interact with the groups’ own sense of their identity and interests. Reporting on the development of formal organisations, they will argue that the legacy of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires has left not only a distinctive network of Rom, Dom and other groups perceived as Çingene, but different understandings of how identity is constituted within complex social relations, which mean that great caution must be exercised in using policy or ethnicity models derived from central and western Europe. Nonetheless a more accurate overview of the populations involved is required, and the authors will try to provide a prelimary sketch

“No promised land”: history, historiography and the origins of the Gypsies

This book examines the questions of how Gypsy ethnicity, identity and history are interlinked in the context of examining various contested narratives of origins and migration. The text is itself a series of narratives and counter-narratives that engage in a self-critical, deconstructive analysis of the underlying assumptions hitherto presented in many, if not most of the previous scholarship regarding the origins and identity of the Gypsies, with particular focus on the contextual and radically contingent nature of all such texts. As such, the primary examination is an historiographical and theoretical consideration of the questions surrounding Gypsy ethnicity and identity, as they are embedded in competing versions of historical discourses claiming authenticity and authority. The dissertation also considers to what extent the production of historical knowledge - contested and contingent as it must be - is affected by those who produce it from within and without the Gypsy community or communities themselves. The construction of historical narratives of journey, undertaken by Gypsies, Roma, Travellers and Sinti themselves, is a relatively recent phenomenon in academia and this dissertation reviews this development in a survey of literatures as they particularly relate to debates on origin, ethnicity and identities. Most especially, this survey examines the production of literatures in Turkish scholarship, as related to the underlying conception of the book arguing for a re-examination of Romani historiography from east to west, rather than the 'traditional' Orientalist and Europecentric perspectives deployed by much of the previous scholarship. Aside from few monographs, the history of the Gypsies in the Ottoman Empire and Turkish Republic has received scant attention to date. Moreover, the dissertation focuses upon the Turkish lands to argue that the historical experiences of Gypsies in this region are of critical importance in understanding the development of both European Romani histories and in acknowledging the flawed basis for the universalist conceptions of European Roma identity and political mobilisation, as they are now articulated. In this context, the importance of Islam in the origins and history of the Gypsies is stressed in the text. This theoretical framework underlies the interweaving narratives that make up the latter sections of the text, a reconsideration of the sources for early Gypsy history that posits an alternative narrative. Whilst openly acknowledging its contextual and contingent nature, I present this as a plausible solution to some of the problems of origins, especially for the Dom Gypsies of the Arab, Persian and Turkish lands and the Lorn of Turkey, Iran and central Asia. The recapitulation of the linguistic arguments regarding Romani origins I undertake in this book from a historiographical perspective, challenging the preponderant use of historical 'evidence' as merely a background to certain linguistic assertions, in an effort to 'ground' these in historical contexts that support such argumentation, before excising that which appears insupportable

Degradation and Uptake of Benzene in Laboratory Phytoremediation Studies

In Whole-Plant Laboratory Studies, Hybrid Poplar Trees Were Shown to Impact a Variety of Fate and Transport Mechanisms for Benzene. Laboratory Experiments Investigated the Distribution of the Contaminant in the Plant Tissues, Degradation in the Soil Profile, and Volatilization from Both the Soil and Leaf Tissues. a New Testing System Was Developed that Allowed for Rapid Testing that is More Field-Representative Than Earlier Studies. Whole Plants Were Utilized in a Reactor Design that Included Both a Saturated and a Vadose Zone. the Continuous Feed Reactors Were Supplied with a Steady Influent Benzene Stream to Mimic Plume Conditions. the Presence of the Poplar Trees Enhanced the Degradation Rate of the Benzene, and Dramatically Decreased the Effluent Mass of Benzene. Benzene Was Also Volatilized from the Leaf Tissues, Providing Evidence to the Extent of Plant Enhanced Volatilization that Has Not Been Previously Documented. the Observed Degradation and Removal Pathways Were a Result of Active/live Trees. Reactors with Killed Controls Did Not Exhibit the Removal Seen in the Live Tree Replicates. the Soil Profile Maintained Higher Degradation Rates with the Trees Present. Causes for the Higher Degradation Rates Appeared to Be Larger Microbial Populations of Benzene Degraders and Preferable Redox Conditions in the Presence of the Poplars. These Results Combined with Previous Hydroponic and Related Field Scale Studies to Provide Evidence that Phytoremediation Has Potential for Effective, Efficient, and Environmentally Friendly Application at Benzene Contaminated Sites, and Potentially Other Contaminated Sites with Biodegradable Organics or VOCs

A Darker Side of Creative Entrepreneurship

This article aims to contrast positive interpretations of enterprise in creative work, which are characterised by freedom, autonomy and choice with less optimistic accounts of the nature of enterprise in the creative industries. By examining extant literature, it illustrates the entrepreneurial responses of designers to instable and dynamic market conditions. It charts how designers adapt to market forces by reconciling creative and commercial pressures, enhancing their labour mobility and commercialising their own labour potential. This article argues that designer’s normative feelings about their work enable them to reconcile the challenging aspects of their work

Benzene Toxicity and Removal in Laboratory Phytoremediation Studies

Hybrid Poplar Cuttings Were Shown to Impact the Fate and Transport of Subsurface Benzene, While Toxicity to the Poplars Was Not Observed. Laboratory Experiments Investigated the Toxicity Response of Poplar Cuttings to Benzene Exposure, Contaminant Distribution in Plant Tissues, Contaminant Degradation in the Soil Profile, and Contaminant Volatilization from the Soil and Plant Tissues. Two Separate Studies Were Conducted to Evaluate These Parameters. the First Study Examined the Toxicity of Benzene to Hybrid Poplar Cuttings in Batch Reactors. Poplar Cuttings Were Exposed to Various Concentrations of Benzene Contaminated Water in Two Different Types of Soil. Transpiration Rates Were Measured as an Indicator of Acute Toxicity. No Acute Toxicity Was Noted for Dose Concentrations Up to 1,000 Ppm. the Second Study Evaluated Benzene Fate and Transport. Live Poplar Cuttings and Excised Controls Were Planted in Flow-Through Reactors and Supplied with an Influent Benzene Stream to Mimic Plume Conditions. the Presence of Live Poplar Cuttings Enhanced Benzene Degradation and Decreased the Effluent Mass of Benzene. a Small Amount of Benzene Was Also Volatilized from the Plant Tissues, Providing Evidence of Plant-Enhanced Volatilization. Causes for the Higher Degradation Rates Appeared to Be Greater Microbial Populations of Benzene Degraders and a More Oxygenrich Environment. the Higher Redox Potential Observed May Be an Artifact of the Laboratory Reactor Design. the Results Obtained in This Research Combined with Previous Studies Provide Evidence that Phytoremediation Has the Potential for Effective, Efficient, and Environmentally Friendly Application at Sites Highly Contaminated with Benzene and Potentially for Other Sites Contaminated with Biodegradable Organics or Volatile Organic Compounds

Helminth Infection and Eosinophilia and the Risk of Plasmodium falciparum Malaria in 1- to 6-Year-Old Children in a Malaria Endemic Area

Malaria infection and other parasitic infections are widespread in developing countries. There is evidence from some studies that intestinal worm infections may increase the risk of developing febrile malaria. However, the evidence is mixed, and some studies have found no effect or even protective effects. A vaccine trial was recently conducted to assess the efficacy of a candidate malaria vaccine. Episodes of malaria were monitored. The vaccine was not protective, but data was also recorded on the prevalence of worm infections. The rates of febrile malaria did not seem to vary according to worm infection in this study. However, because of the relatively low prevalence of worm infection, the study did not have high power. Given the conflicting findings in the literature, and the potential for the effect of worm infection to vary geographically, it is important that larger, definitive studies are conducted, since even quite small effects might be important for global public health

Brief communication: Rapid acceleration of the Brunt Ice Shelf after calving of iceberg A-81

The Brunt Ice Shelf, Antarctica, accelerated rapidly from a velocity of 900 to 1500 m a−1 during 6 months, following calving of a 1500 km2 iceberg on 22 January 2023. The immediate response to calving was observed as a change to the rate of acceleration and not to velocity directly. Acceleration increased by a factor of 10, with a second, smaller calving at the end of June 2023, leading to further tripling of acceleration. The acceleration was caused by the reduction of buttressing at the McDonald Ice Rumples, leading to high localised strain rates, which reduce the strength of the remaining ice shelf

Cross-validation of the Work Organization Assessment Questionnaire across genders: a study in the Australian health care sector

Objectives The main aim of this study was to examine the measurement invariance of the Work Organisation Assessment Questionnaire (WOAQ) across genders in a group of healthcare employees, using bifactor modelling. There is a very limited research that uses invariance testing of bifactor models, despite their usefulness. Establishing validity of the WOAQ in this way is important for demonstrating its relevance for both males and females. Methods A bifactor modelling procedure was used here to examine the validity of the WOAQ with a sample of 946 paramedics employed in a large Australian organization in the healthcare sector. Results The results of this study show that the WOAQ has good psychometric properties across genders in healthcare settings. In addition, there were significant mean differences between males and females in their perceptions of ‘quality of relationships with colleagues’, and ‘reward and recognition’. There were no differences between males and females on the remaining factors: ‘quality of relationships with the management’, ‘quality of relationships with colleagues’, and ‘quality of the physical environment’. Conclusions The use of bifactor modelling to establish the cross-validity of the WOAQ across male and female paramedics adds to evidence for the measure’s good psychometric properties. The findings add to those of previous research that has used higher order Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Moreover, mean differences between males and females were found to be significant in two of the five WOAQ subscales. These findings have practical implications for healthcare organizations, in terms of assessing work characteristics and developing activities to support the health and well-being of their employees

Weight loss referrals for adults in primary care (WRAP) : Protocol for a multi-centre randomised controlled trial comparing the clinical and cost-effectiveness of primary care referral to a commercial weight loss provider for 12 weeks, referral for 52 weeks, and a brief self-help intervention [ISRCTN82857232]

Background: Recent trials demonstrate the acceptability and short term efficacy of primary care referral to a commercial weight loss provider for weight management. Commissioners now need information on the optimal duration of intervention and the longer term outcomes and cost effectiveness of such treatment to give best value for money. Methods/Design. This multicentre, randomised controlled trial with a parallel design will recruit 1200 overweight adults (BMI ≥28 kg/m2) through their primary care provider. They will be randomised in a 2:5:5 allocation to: Brief Intervention, Commercial Programme for 12 weeks, or Commercial Programme for 52 weeks. Participants will be followed up for two years, with assessments at 0, 3, 12 and 24 months. The sequential primary research questions are whether the CP interventions achieve significantly greater weight loss from baseline to 12 months than BI, and whether CP52 achieves significantly greater weight loss from baseline to 12 months than CP12. The primary outcomes will be an intention to treat analysis of between treatment differences in body weight at 12 months. Clinical effectiveness will be also be assessed by measures of weight, fat mass, and blood pressure at each time point and biochemical risk factors at 12 months. Self-report questionnaires will collect data on psychosocial factors associated with adherence, weight-loss and weight-loss maintenance. A within-trial and long-term cost-effectiveness analysis will be conducted from an NHS perspective. Qualitative methods will be used to examine the participant experience. Discussion. The current trial compares the clinical and cost effectiveness of referral to a commercial provider with a brief intervention. This trial will specifically examine whether providing longer weight-loss treatment without altering content or intensity (12 months commercial referral vs. 12 weeks) leads to greater weight loss at one year and is sustained at 2 years. It will also evaluate the relative cost-effectiveness of the three interventions. This study has direct implications for primary care practice in the UK and will provide important information to inform the decisions of practitioners and commissioners about service provision