Development and Underdevelopment in Britain and Ireland

Summary Students of development may use diverse definitions of development and underdevelopment, but invariably these definitions are related to regions or states which are regarded as disadvantaged by comparison with Britain or other rich countries. This focus has produced a neglect of ‘developmental material' on our own doorstep: the existence of pockets of social and regional underdevelopment has long been recognised in Britain and Ireland. Studies of structural attributes, official policies, the institutional apparatus and the consequences of development strategies are relevant to the general corpus of development studies, suggesting the need for a revised definition of development. Resume Développement et sous?développement en Grande?Bretagne et en Irlande Dans les études sur le développement on trouve parfois différentes définitions du développement et du sous?développement, mais invariablement ces définitions se rapportent à régions ou états qui sont considérés comme désavantagés par rapport à la Grande?Bretagne ou aux autres pays riches. De ce fait on a négligé des zones candidates pour le développement sur notre propre seuil: depuis longtemps l'existence de poches de sous?développement social et régional a été reconnu en Grande?Bretagne et en Irlande. L'étude des caractéristiques structurales, des politiques officielles, de l'appareil institutionnel et des conséquences des stratégies de développement sont autant de sujets qui intéressent l'ensemble des études sur le développement, ce qui suggère qu'il faudrait revoir la définition du développement. Resumen Desarrollo y subdesarrollo en la Grañ Bretana e Irlanda Los estudiantes del desarrollo podrán utilizar diversas definiciones de desarrollo y subdesarrollo, pero estas definiciones siempre se refieren a regiones o estados que se consideran desventajados en comparación con la Gran Bretaña y otros países ricos. Esta manera de enfocar la situación ha producido un abandono de “material de desarrollo” a nuestra misma puerta. En la Gran Bretaña e Irlanda se ha reconocido desde hace tiempo que existen concentracciones sociales y regionales de subdesarrollo. Los estudios sobre los atributos estructurales, las políticas oficiales, el aparato institucional y las consecuencias de las estrategias del desarrollo son pertinentes para el conjunto general de los estudios de desarrollo, sugiriendo la necesidad de una definición revisada del desarrollo

Administrative Training: Doublethink and Newspeak

Summary Administrative training is a growth industry, and has developed a philosophy and practice. The philosophy consists of claims about the purposes and results of training which the practice cannot substantiate. Those involved in the ‘industry’ are aware of this, and resist real evaluation of their claims, which consist essentially in using the expansionist philosophy of training to create or justify personal or institutional benefits. The costs of this ‘double?think’ strategy are not defined. Instead, a special language is deliberately constructed to avoid precise meaning: a form of ‘newspeak’, which reduces the possibilities for effective debate of issues which deserve penetrating reappraisal. Resume Formation administrative: “Doublethink” et “New?speak” La formation administrative est une industrie en croissance et a donné naissance à une doctrine et à une pratique. La doctrine consiste en des affirmations sur les objectifs et les résultats de la formation que la pratique ne peut justifier. Tous ceux qui sont dans cette “industrie” s'en rendent compte et refusent une réelle évaluation de leurs affirmations qui consistent essentiellement à utiliser la doctrine expansionniste de la formation pour créer et justifier les bénéfices personnels et institutionnels. Le prix de cette stratégie de “doublethink” n'est pas déterminé. Mais au contraire, un langage spécial est délibérément créé pour éviter un sens trop précis: une forme de “newspeak” qui réduit la possibilité de débattre efficacement des problèmes qui demandent à être réévalués. Resumen Formación Administrativa: “Doublethink” y “New?speak” La formación administrativa es una industria en crecimiento y ha desarrollado una filosofía y una práctica. La filosofía consiste en pretensiones sobre los propósitos y los resultados de la formación que no se pueden cristalizar en la práctica. Los que intervienen en la industria están conscientes de esto y resisten la evaluación real de sus pretensiones, que fundamentalmente consisten en usar la filosofía expansionista de la formación para crear o justificar beneficios personales o institucionales. No se determinan los costos de esta estrategia de “doublethink”. En cambio, se ha creado deliberadamente un lenguage especial para evitar los significados precisos: una forma de “newspeak” que reduce las posibilidades de debate eficaz sobre temas que merecen una nueva evaluación penetrante

A pivotal role for interleuking-4 in Atorvastatin-associated neuroprotection in rat brain.

noInflammatory changes, characterized by an increase in pro-inflammatory cytokine production and up-regulation of the corresponding signaling pathways, have been described in the brains of aged rats and rats treated with the potent immune modulatory molecule lipopolysaccharide (LPS). These changes have been coupled with a deficit in long-term potentiation (LTP) in hippocampus. The evidence suggests that anti-inflammatory agents, which attenuate the LPS-induced and age-associated increase in hippocampal interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) concentration, lead to restoration of LTP. Here we report that atorvastatin, a member of the family of agents that act as inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase, exerts powerful anti-inflammatory effects in brain and that these effects are mediated by IL-4 and independent of its cholesterol-lowering actions. Treatment of rats with atorvastatin increased IL-4 concentration in hippocampal tissue prepared from LPS-treated and aged rats and abrogated the age-related and LPS-induced increases in pro-inflammatory cytokines, interferon-¿ (IFN¿) and IL-1ß, and the accompanying deficit in LTP. The effect of atorvastatin on the LPS-induced increases in IFN¿ and IL-1ß was absent in tissue prepared from IL-4¿/¿ mice. The increase in IL-1ß in LPS-treated and aged rats is associated with increased microglial activation, assessed by analysis of major histocompatibility complex II expression, and the evidence suggests that IFN¿ may trigger this activation. We propose that the primary effect of atorvastatin is to increase IL-4, which antagonizes the effects of IFN¿, the associated increase in microglial activation, and the subsequent cascade of events

ReseArch with Patient and Public invOlvement: a RealisT evaluation - the RAPPORT study

Background Patient and public involvement (PPI) is a prerequisite for many funding bodies and NHS research ethics approval. PPI in research is defined as research carried out with or by the public rather than to, about or for them. While the benefits of PPI have been widely discussed, there is a lack of evidence on the impact and outcomes of PPI in research. Objectives To determine the types of PPI in funded research, describe key processes, analyse the contextual and temporal dynamics of PPI and explore the experience of PPI in research for all those involved. Mechanisms contributing to the routine incorporation of PPI in the research process were assessed, the impact of PPI on research processes and outcomes evaluated, and barriers and enablers to effective PPI identified. Design A three-staged realist evaluation drawing on Normalisation Process Theory to understand how far PPI was embedded within health-care research in six areas: diabetes mellitus, arthritis, cystic fibrosis, dementia, public health and learning disabilities. The first two stages comprised a scoping exercise and online survey to chief investigators to assess current PPI activity. The third stage consisted of case studies tracked over 18 months through interviews and document analysis. The research was conducted in four regions of England. Participants Non-commercial studies currently running or completed within the previous 2 years eligible for adoption on the UK Clinical Research Network portfolio. A total of 129 case study participants included researchers and PPI representatives from 22 research studies, and representatives from funding bodies and PPI networks

Climate-influenced migration in Bangladesh: the need for a policy realignment

Recent research into migration in Bangladesh has highlighted that people migrate for better livelihoods, not necessarily in response to climatic stresses and shocks. If facilitated appropriately, internal and international migration can help build adaptive capacity to future environmental and climatic hazards. In this framing, migration happens in the context of a growing city-centred economy that promotes remittances to villages. However, a textual analysis of current and recent policies concerning climate change, development and poverty alleviation, and disaster management shows that the economic and adaptive roles of internal migration are often not included in policy framing. We argue that if migration works as a positive step towards adaptation, then the key challenge is to align the policies with this new understanding

It's not just What you do, it's also the Way that you do it: Patient and Public Involvement in the Development of Health Research

This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in International Journal for Quality in Health Care following peer review. The version of record will be available online at: https://academic.oup.com/intqhc/issue, DOI: 10.1093/INTQHC/MZX177.Purpose: This paper presents a reflective account of Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) in the development of obesity and binge eating research. Method: We established Patient Advisory Groups (PAGs) at two English regional National Health Service (NHS) weight management services. PPI was evaluated as follows; (1) PAG members completed a PPEQ, (2) PAG meetings captured group discussion on PPI involvement, (3) practitioner and researchers produced written reflections on PPI, (4) sources one to three were consolidated during reflections that took place via e-mail and telephone correspondence between researchers and practitioners, culminating in a summary SKYPE meeting between one practitioner and one researcher involved in the PAGs. Results: Results in the form of reflections suggest guidelines on undertaking PPI were helpful with regards what to do, but less helpful on how. For example, suggestions for the management of interpersonal factors such as eliciting self-disclosure and managing power differentials are insufficiently addressed in existing guidelines. Conclusions: The present case study illustrated how interpersonal considerations can help or hinder the optimal use of PPI. Recommendations for practitioners and researchers planning PPI are offered

Regulatory regionalism and anti-money-laundering governance in Asia

With the intensification of the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF's) worldwide campaign to promote anti-money-laundering regulation since the late 1990s, all Asian states except North Korea have signed up to its rules and have established a regional institution—the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering—to promote and oversee the implementation of FATF's 40 Recommendations in the region. This article analyses the FATF regime, making two key claims. First, anti-money-laundering governance in Asia reflects a broader shift to regulatory regionalism, particularly in economic matters, in that its implementation and functioning depend upon the rescaling of ostensibly domestic agencies to function within a regional governance regime. Second, although this form of regulatory regionalism is established in order to bypass the perceived constraints of national sovereignty and political will, it nevertheless inevitably becomes entangled within the socio-political conflicts that shape the exercise of state power more broadly. Consequently, understanding the outcomes of regulatory regionalism involves identifying how these conflicts shape how far and in what manner global regulations are adopted and implemented within specific territories. This argument is demonstrated by a case study of Myanmar

Consumer input into research: the Australian Cancer Trials website

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Australian Cancer Trials website (ACTO) was publicly launched in 2010 to help people search for cancer clinical trials recruiting in Australia, provide information about clinical trials and assist with doctor-patient communication about trials. We describe consumer involvement in the design and development of ACTO and report our preliminary patient evaluation of the website.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Consumers, led by Cancer Voices NSW, provided the impetus to develop the website. Consumer representative groups were consulted by the research team during the design and development of ACTO which combines a search engine, trial details, general information about trial participation and question prompt lists. Website use was analysed. A patient evaluation questionnaire was completed at one hospital, one week after exposure to the website.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>ACTO's main features and content reflect consumer input. In February 2011, it covered 1, 042 cancer trials. Since ACTO's public launch in November 2010, until the end of February 2011, the website has had 2, 549 new visits and generated 17, 833 page views. In a sub-study of 47 patient users, 89% found the website helpful for learning about clinical trials and all respondents thought patients should have access to ACTO.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The development of ACTO is an example of consumers working with doctors, researchers and policy makers to improve the information available to people whose lives are affected by cancer and to help them participate in their treatment decisions, including consideration of clinical trial enrolment. Consumer input has ensured that the website is informative, targets consumer priorities and is user-friendly. ACTO serves as a model for other health conditions.</p