Screening for domestic violence in family mediation: an investigation into how mediators manage disclosures of domestic abuse and associated emotions

This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University LondonThis thesis explores the practice of family mediators when screening for domestic violence during mediation. Mediation Information and Assessment Meetings (MIAMs) and Joint Mediation Meetings (JMs) were recorded between April 2010 and January 2011, by four mediators who mediate for National Family Mediation (NFM) affiliated services in the South of England. These meetings were analysed from the mother’s perspective, using qualitative and quantitative analysis. The themes for analysis were taken from the Duluth Domestic Abuse Intervention Programme (DDAIP). It was found that mediators did initially screen for domestic violence during the MIAM, using the guidelines published by NFM; that screening was focused on the clients perception of the abuse and not the mediators interpretation of the abuse. The published expectation for screening to be ongoing throughout mediation was explored during the analysis of the joint meetings. There was evidence that abusive behaviours were alleged or inferred during those meetings and there was also evidence that the abusive behaviours and the emotions expressed by the mothers were managed by the mediators. There was no clear evidence that the mediators were proactively screening for domestic violence during the joint meetings save for reacting to and managing the impact and effect of the negative behaviours. This study concludes that mediators do not routinely screen for domestic violence during joint meetings, therefore guidance and training for ongoing screening during joint mediation meetings is needed. The current guidance and policy for screening needs to be reviewed

Group Analysis in Practice: Narrative Approaches

This is the final version of the article. Available from Institut für Qualitative Forschung via the URL in this record.Working in groups is increasingly regarded as fruitful for the process of analyzing qualitative data. It has been reported to build research skills, make the analytic process visible, reduce inequalities and social distance particularly between researchers and participants, and broaden and intensify engagement with the material. This article contributes to the burgeoning literature on group qualitative data analysis by presenting a worked example of a group data analysis of a short extract from an interview on serial migration from the Caribbean to the UK. It describes the group's working practices and the different analytic resources drawn upon to conduct a narrative analysis. We demonstrate the ways in which an initial line-by-line analysis followed by analysis of larger extracts generated insights that would have been less available to individual researchers. Additionally, we discuss the positioning of group members in relation to the data and reflect on the porous boundary between primary and secondary analysis of qualitative data.With grateful thanks to the participants, without whose generosity in sharing their stories, the study would not have been possible. We are also pleased to acknowledge funding of the NOVELLA research node from the Economic and Social Research Council that enabled engagement with methodological, theoretical and substantive issues

Analysing qualitative data in groups: process and practice.

Part of the Narrative Research In Action series

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

University Social Responsibility: Challenging Systemic Racism in the Aftermath of George Floyd’s Murder

In this paper, we examine university discretionary interpretation of the 2020 social upheaval that emanated from George Floyd’s murder as an element of university social responsibility (USR) policymaking. The paper addresses two research questions: (a) What are university presidents’ implicit and explicit social justice responses to George Floyd’s death and the idealistic protests of 2020? (b) To what degree are principles of social justice embedded in universities’ intellectual roots and social responsibility? Using a sample of university presidents’ public statements in response to George Floyd’s death and the idealistic protests of 2020, we analyze the response and responsibilities of universities in the struggle for a just society. We cross-check mission statements and strategic plans to corroborate universities’ public statements with their institutional philosophies, mission, and action plans relating to discrimination against racial and ethnic minorities and systemic racism. We use critical discourse analysis and the Voyant Tool to perform a textual analysis of 62 university presidents’ letters and mission statements. They all denounced the dehumanization and inequitable treatment of Black people. An important implication of our work is the sharp difference in the depth and forthrightness of responses by university presidents across university types. Some presidential letters are forthright in their denouncement of the murder of George Floyd and systemic racism, while others were, at best, vague in their approach. Presidential letters disclose their institutions’ priorities, organizational identities, and social responsibility convictions. Overall, mission statements and strategic plans included addressing systemic racism and inequality. While there is no ordered symmetry between presidential narratives and institutional action, we anticipate social responsibility as a core institutional value. We argue for social justice anti-racist platforms as critical dimensions of USR. We call for university milieus that promote a fair and just society among all stakeholders

The effect of biological heterogeneity on R-CHOP treatment outcome in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma across five international regions

Addressing the global burden of cancer, understanding its diverse biology, and promoting appropriate prevention and treatment strategies around the world has become a priority for the United Nations and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the WHO, and International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The IAEA sponsored an international prospective cohort study to better understand biology, treatment response, and outcomes of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in low and middle-income countries across five UN-defined geographical regions. We report an analysis of biological variation in DLBCL across seven ethnic and environmentally diverse populations. In this cohort of 136 patients treated to a common protocol, we demonstrate significant biological differences between countries, characterized by a validated prognostic gene expression score (p < .0001), but International Prognostic Index (IPI)-adjusted survivals in all participating countries were similar. We conclude that DLBCL treatment outcomes in these populations can be benchmarked to international standards, despite biological heterogeneity

Design, synthesis and evaluation of graftable thrombin inhibitors for the preparation of blood-compatible polymer materials.

Piperazinyl-amide derivatives of N-alpha-(3-trifluoromethyl-benzenesulfonyl)-L-arginine (1) were synthesized as graftable thrombin inhibitors. The possible disturbance of biological activity due to a variable spacer-arm fixed on the N-4 piperazinyl position was evaluated in vitro, against human alpha-thrombin, and in blood coagulation assay. Molecular modelling (in silico analysis) and X-ray diffraction studies of thrombin-inhibitor complexes were also performed. The fixation of bioactive molecules on poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) membranes was performed by wet chemistry treatment and evaluated by XPS analysis. Surface grafting of inhibitor 1d improved the membrane hemocompatibility by reducing blood clot formation on the modified surface

Protocol for qRT-PCR analysis from formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue sections from diffuse large b-cell lymphoma: Validation of the six-gene predictor score

As a part of an international study on the molecular analysis of Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL), a robust protocol for gene expression analysis from RNA extraction to qRT-PCR using Formalin Fixed Paraffin Embedded tissues was developed. Here a study was conducted to define a strategy to validate the previously reported 6-gene (LMO2, BCL6, FN1, CCND2, SCYA3 and BCL2) model as predictor of prognosis in DLBCL. To avoid variation, all samples were tested in a single centre and single platform. This study comprised 8 countries (Brazil, Chile, Hungary, India, Philippines, S. Korea, Thailand and Turkey). Using the Kaplan-Meier and log rank test on patients (n=162) and two mortality risk groups (with those above and below the mean representing high and low risk groups) confirmed that the 6-gene predictor score correlates significantly with overall survival (OS, p < 0.01) but not with event free survival (EFS, p=0.18). Adding the International Prognostic Index (IPI) shows that the 6-gene predictor score correlates significantly with high IPI scores for OS (p < 0.05), whereas those with low IPI scores show a trend not reaching significance (p=0.08). This study defined an effective and economical qRT-PCR strategy and validated the 6-gene score as a predictor of OS in an international setting.Fil: Tekin, Nilgun. Ankara University. Biotechology Institute; TurquíaFil: Omidvar, Nader. Cardiff University; Reino UnidoFil: Morris, Tim Peter. Clinical Trials Unit at University College. Medical Research Council; Reino UnidoFil: Conget, Paulette. Universidad del Desarrollo; ChileFil: Bruna, Flavia Alejandra. Universidad del Desarrollo; Chile. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo; ArgentinaFil: Timar, Botond. Semmelweis University. Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research; HungríaFil: Gagyi, Eva. Semmelweis University. Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research; HungríaFil: Basak, Ranjan. Tata Memorial Hospital. Departments of Medical Oncology & Pathology; IndiaFil: Naik, Omkar. Tata Memorial Hospital. Departments of Medical Oncology & Pathology; IndiaFil: Auewarakul, Chirayu. Faculty of Medicine Sirira; Tailandia. Chulabhorn Cancer Centre; TailandiaFil: Sritana, Narongrit. Faculty of Medicine Sirira; Tailandia. Chulabhorn Cancer Centre; TailandiaFil: Levy, Debora. Chulabhorn Cancer Centre; Tailandia. Faculty of Medicine Sirira; TailandiaFil: Cerci, Juliano Julio. Department of Nuclear Medicine. Quanta - Diagnóstico e Terapia; BrasilFil: Bydlowski, Sergio Paulo. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Pereira, Juliana. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Dimamay, Mark Pierre. St. Lukes Medical. Research and Biotechnology Division; FilipinasFil: Natividad, Filipinas. St. Lukes Medical. Research and Biotechnology Division; FilipinasFil: Chung, June-Key. Seoul National University Hospital. Department of Nuclear Medicine; Corea del SurFil: Belder, Nevin. Ankara University. Biotechology Institute; TurquíaFil: Kuzu, Isinsu. Ankara University. Faculty of Medicina; TurquíaFil: Paez, Diana. International Atomic Energy Agency; AustriaFil: Dondi, Maurizio. International Atomic Energy Agency; AustriaFil: Carr, Robert. King’s College. Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospital; Reino UnidoFil: Ozdag, Hilal. Ankara University. Faculty of Medicina; TurquíaFil: Padua, Rose Ann. Institut National de la Sante Et de la Recherche Médica; Francia. Université Paris-Diderot; Francia. Institut Universitaire d'Hématologie; Franci