Pressure Drop: Securitising and De-Securitising Safeguarding

This article explores how securitization theory is mobilised in contemporary social work discourse, policy and practice. We draw on recent child protection research to support our claim that a new practice issue, described previously as securitised safeguarding, has emerged. We demonstrate its emergence using securitization theory as a conceptual mode of analysis to describe how a securitised safeguarding response depicts particular families as an existential threat, which in turn, prompts a response characterised by forms of muscular liberalism. We argue that this emerging practice issue requires critical consideration and suggest it will have a significant impact on social work; one that is unlikely to be beneficial for the profession and more importantly, families being worked with. By describing a process of de-securitisation, we offer an alternative and more nuanced approach, that perceives families holistically, and mobilises a welfare safeguarding model. This more closely resembles traditional social work values of emancipation, liberation and empowerment within social work practice

Identification of phenological stages and vegetative types for land use classification

The author has identified the following significant results. Recent signature identification and refinement techniques indicate that with automated classification of MSS CCT data commercial stands of cottonwood and white spruce can be identified with 80% accuracy in the Bonanza Creek experimental forest. Since that forest is representative of the vast interior Alaska forests, this finding has substantial economic importance to public and private forestry interests in Alaska

PREVENT, Safeguarding and the Common-Sensing of Social Work in the UK

INTRODUCTION: The Counter-Terrorism and Security Act (2015) passed in the United Kingdom (UK) made it mandatory for social workers, as well as a wide range of caring professionals, to work within the PREVENT policy, originally introduced in 2002, as one strand of the UK’s overall counter-terrorism policy. METHOD: The paper offers a theoretical account of how complex issues, like terrorism, that understandably impact on the safety and security of countries, are reduced to a series of assertions, claims and panics that centre on the notion of common sense. IMPLICATIONS: We theorise the concept of common sense and argue that such rhetorical devices have become part of the narrative that surrounds the PREVENT agenda in the UK, which co-opts social workers (and other public servants) into an increasingly securitised environment within the state. In other words, the appeal to common sense stifles critical debate, makes it hard to raise concerns and positions debates in a binary manner. We use the example of how there has been a decisive linking of traditional safeguarding social work practice with counter-terrorism activity. CONCLUSIONS: We posit that linkages such as this serve to advance a more closed society, resulting in a “chilling” of free speech, an increase in surveillance and the unchecked advancement of a neoliberal political agenda which promotes economic considerations over issues of social justice. This we argue, has implications for not only the UK, but for other countries where social workers are increasingly being tasked with counter-terrorism activities

Identification of phenological stages and vegetative types for land use classification

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

Modelling seasonality of Lassa fever incidences and vector dynamics in Nigeria

Lassa fever (Lf) is a viral haemorrhagic disease endemic to West Africa and is caused by the Lassa mammarenavirus. The rodent Mastomys natalensis serves as the primary reservoir and its ecology and behaviour have been linked to the distinct spatial and temporal patterns in the incidence of Lf. Nigeria has experienced an unprecedented epidemic that lasted from January until April of 2018, which has been followed by subsequent epidemics of Lf in the same period every year since. While previous research has modelled the case seasonality within Nigeria, this did not capture the seasonal variation in the reproduction of the zoonotic reservoir and its effect on case numbers. To this end, we introduce an approximate Bayesian computation scheme to fit our model to the case data from 2018–2020 supplied by the NCDC. In this study we used a periodically forced seasonal nonautonomous system of ordinary differential equations as a vector model to demonstrate that the population dynamics of the rodent reservoir may be responsible for the spikes in the number of observed cases in humans. The results show that in December through to March, spillover from the zoonotic reservoir drastically increases and spreads the virus to the people of Nigeria. Therefore to effectively combat Lf, attention and efforts should be concentrated during this period

A phase II trial of paclitaxel and epirubicin in advanced breast cancer

Initial trials of paclitaxel and doxorubicin in advanced breast cancer yielded high response rates but significant cardiac toxicity was observed. In this phase II trial we investigated the efficacy and safety of paclitaxel combined with epirubicin. Patients with advanced breast cancer, performance status 0–2, measurable disease, and a normal left ventricular ejection fraction, who may have received adjuvant chemotherapy were treated with epirubicin 75 mg m–2followed by a 3-h infusion of paclitaxel 175 mg m–2repeated every 3 weeks. Forty-three eligible patients were treated at six centres. 67% patients received the maximum of six cycles. The response rate was 54% (95% CI 38–69%), 12% CR and 42% PR. Estimated median progression-free survival was 6.9 months (95% CI 5.4–10.0) and estimated median overall survival was 17.9 months (95% CI 14.2–25.7). Four patients had a decrease in the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of ≥20% of baseline value, and in two patients the LVEF decreased to below the lower limit of normal, but no patient developed clinical evidence of cardiac failure. Grade 4 neutropenia occurred in 56% cycles, but only 4% of cycles were complicated by febrile neutropenia. Grade 3 or 4 non-haematologic toxicity was uncommon. In conclusion, paclitaxel 175 mg m–2and epirubicin 75 mg m–2is a well tolerated, promising regimen for the treatment of advanced breast cancer. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaig

Only connect: unifying the social in social work and social media

This paper utilises ‘Only Connect’, the epigraph from Forster’s novel ‘Howards End’ as the starting point for exploring the challenges and opportunities of integrating social networking with relationship based social work practice. The paper discusses the more deleterious implications of social networking, whilst assuming a deliberately optimistic stance to uncover ways in which the opportunities afforded by online space can be utilised effectively within social work education and practice. Whilst recognising that social networking platforms are transforming constantly, the paper adopts Kaplan’s definition of social media as a ‘group of internet based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0’. Whilst much of the discussion within the paper relates to Twitter and Facebook, two of the most endemic international social networking platforms, it is also applicable to myriad forms of social networking. The paper begins with a discussion of UK professional conduct cases and explores these both within Klein’s concept of splitting and historical attitudes to new technologies. Drawing from emerging research data and other examples, the positive relational practices educed by social media within social work education and practice are emphasised and discussed. The paper concludes by highlighting Forster’s plea for connection and recommending that social work embraces the renewed opportunities provided by online networking

Combining Slaughterhouse Surveillance Data with Cattle Tracing Scheme and Environmental Data to Quantify Environmental Risk Factors for Liver Fluke in Cattle.

Liver fluke infection causes serious disease (fasciolosis) in cattle and sheep in many regions of the world, resulting in production losses and additional economic consequences due to condemnation of the liver at slaughter. Liver fluke depends on mud snails as an intermediate host and infect livestock when ingested through grazing. Therefore, environmental factors play important roles in infection risk and climate change is likely to modify this. Here, we demonstrate how slaughterhouse data can be integrated with other data, including animal movement and climate variables to identify environmental risk factors for liver fluke in cattle in Scotland. We fitted a generalized linear mixed model to the data, with exposure-weighted random and fixed effects, an approach which takes into account the amount of time cattle spent at different locations, exposed to different levels of risk. This enabled us to identify an increased risk of liver fluke with increased animal age, rainfall, and temperature and for farms located further to the West, in excess of the risk associated with a warmer, wetter climate. This model explained 45% of the variability in liver fluke between farms, suggesting that the unexplained 55% was due to factors not included in the model, such as differences in on-farm management and presence of wet habitats. This approach demonstrates the value of statistically integrating routinely recorded slaughterhouse data with other pre-existing data, creating a powerful approach to quantify disease risks in production animals. Furthermore, this approach can be used to better quantify the impact of projected climate change on liver fluke risk for future studies