Precarious lives: exploring lived experiences of the private rented sector in Salford

Research report focusing on the experiences of residents living in the private rented sector in Salford

Erneley Close passive house retrofit : resident experiences and building performance in retrofit to passive house standard

In May 2015, Eastlands Housing (now One Manchester) completed work on its retrofit to PassivHaus equivalent (EnerPHit) standard of 32 social housing flats in two blocks in Erneley Close, in the Manchester area Gorton. With a budget of £3.1 million, it was intended that the development would reduce energy bills, create new community greenspace and make the area a destination of choice (PassivHaus Trust 2015). Over the period December 2015 to February 2016, researchers at the Sustainable Housing and Urban Studies Unit (SHUSU) and the Applied Buildings and Energy Research Group (ABERG) monitored the thermal performance of the buildings and interviewed residents to understand their experiences of both the retrofit process and living in their retrofitted-flats. The research contributes to a nascent literature on retrofit of social housing to EnerPHit levels and to a broader literature base on processes and outcomes of retrofit across the UK housing stock. It finds broadly positive outcomes from the Erneley Close improvements, with monitoring indicating high expected comfort levels and the majority of tenants expressing satisfaction with the thermal performance of the flats and the heating systems. As with any major development, there are lessons that can be learnt, and opportunities to enhance the work: these relate primarily to ensuring residents, including vulnerable groups, understand fully how to get the best out of their retrofitted flats; and addressing some non-energy related tenant concerns. The report begins with an overview of the EnerPHit standard (Chapter 2), before outlining the methodology (Chapter 3). Chapters 4 and 5 present the findings from the qualitative interviews and the physical monitoring respectively. Finally, Chapter 6 offers a set of recommendations that relate to this and future social housing energy retrofit

Thyroid hormones and antibody response to sheep erythrocytes of dwarf and normal chickens selected for juvenile body weight

International audienc

"So this is not a game” - Brexit as a ‘situation of uncommon precarity’ for migrants of Roma heritage in the UK

Following the 2016 Referendum on UK membership of the EU, the British government indicated that providing evidence of consistent, regular working histories would form the basis of applications by EU migrants seeking to remain in the country long-term. (Home Office, 2018, 2020). In doing so, it made evidence of legal, paid employment central to obtaining legitimate status in the country, but those struggling to produce such information face potentially precarious futures (e.g. Sumption & Kone, 2018). The vulnerability of migrants of Roma heritage to insecure, low status, (and sometimes exploitative), employment conditions in the UK has been highlighted by various studies (e.g. Poole & Adamson 2008; Brown et al., 2016). Such patterns of employment have frequently been described as ‘precarious labour’ in other parts of the European Union (e.g. Apostolova et al., 2014; Vincze, 2015). Studies have suggested that, given the specific disadvantages faced by Roma migrants in the UK, the aftermath of ‘Brexit’ posed enhanced risks an intensification of the precarity they already experience (e.g. Brown et al., 2018). Drawing on interviews conducted with EU migrants of Roma heritage in two different locations in 2019, this paper assesses the implications of Brexit for their continued residence. It argues that for Roma in the UK, Brexit represents a contemporary, but expanded example of precarity, encompassing not only work, but also family and future, hopes and aspirations. Keywords: Roma, precarity, employment, migration, Brexi

Sanctions, support & service leavers : social security benefits and transitions from military to civilian life

Research report presenting findings from the first UK research focusing on the experiences of veterans in the social security system

CCR2⁺CD103⁻ intestinal dendritic cells develop from DC-committed precursors and induce interleukin-17 production by T cells

The identification of intestinal macrophages (m phi s) and dendritic cells (DCs) is a matter of intense debate. Although CD103(+) mononuclear phagocytes (MPs) appear to be genuine DCs, the nature and origins of CD103(-) MPs remain controversial. We show here that intestinal CD103(-)CD11b(+) MPs can be separated clearly into DCs and m phi s based on phenotype, gene profile, and kinetics. CD64(-)CD103(-)CD11b(+) MPs are classical DCs, being derived from Flt3 ligand-dependent, DC-committed precursors, not Ly6C hi monocytes. Surprisingly, a significant proportion of these CD103(-)CD11b(+) DCs express CCR2 and there is a selective decrease in CD103(-)CD11b(+) DCs in mice lacking this chemokine receptor. CCR2(+)CD103(-) DCs are present in both the murine and human intestine, drive interleukin (IL)-17a production by Tcells in vitro, and show constitutive expression of IL-12/IL-23p40. These data highlight the heterogeneity of intestinal DCs and reveal a bona fide population of CCR2(+) DCs that is involved in priming mucosal T helper type 17 (Th17) responses

Effects of lowering body temperature via hyperhydration, with and without glycerol ingestion and practical precooling on cycling time trial performance in hot and humid conditions

Background Hypohydration and hyperthermia are factors that may contribute to fatigue and impairment of endurance performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of combining glycerol hyperhydration and an established precooling technique on cycling time trial performance in hot environmental conditions. Methods Twelve well-trained male cyclists performed three 46.4-km laboratory-based cycling trials that included two climbs, under hot and humid environmental conditions (33.3 ± 1.1°C; 50 ± 6% r.h.). Subjects were required to hyperhydrate with 25 g.kg-1 body mass (BM) of a 4°C beverage containing 6% carbohydrate (CON) 2.5 h prior to the time trial. On two occasions, subjects were also exposed to an established precooling technique (PC) 60 min prior to the time trial, involving 14 g.kg-1 BM ice slurry ingestion and applied iced towels over 30 min. During one PC trial, 1.2 g.kg-1 BM glycerol was added to the hyperhydration beverage in a double-blind fashion (PC+G). Statistics used in this study involve the combination of traditional probability statistics and a magnitude-based inference approach. Results Hyperhydration resulted in large reductions (−0.6 to −0.7°C) in rectal temperature. The addition of glycerol to this solution also lowered urine output (330 ml, 10%). Precooling induced further small (−0.3°C) to moderate (−0.4°C) reductions in rectal temperature with PC and PC+G treatments, respectively, when compared with CON (0.0°C, P<0.05). Overall, PC+G failed to achieve a clear change in cycling performance over CON, but PC showed a possible 2% (30 s, P=0.02) improvement in performance time on climb 2 compared to CON. This improvement was attributed to subjects’ lower perception of effort reported over the first 10 km of the trial, despite no clear performance change during this time. No differences were detected in any other physiological measurements throughout the time trial. Conclusions Despite increasing fluid intake and reducing core temperature, performance and thermoregulatory benefits of a hyperhydration strategy with and without the addition of glycerol, plus practical precooling, were not superior to hyperhydration alone. Further research is warranted to further refine preparation strategies for athletes competing in thermally stressful events to optimize health and maximize performance outcomes