Towards a new theory of practice for community health psychology

The article sets out the value of theorizing collective action from a social science perspective that engages with the messy actuality of practice. It argues that community health psychology relies on an abstract version of Paulo Freire’s earlier writing, the Pedagogy of the Oppressed, which provides scholar-activists with a ‘map’ approach to collective action. The article revisits Freire’s later work, the Pedagogy of Hope, and argues for the importance of developing a ‘journey’ approach to collective action. Theories of practice are discussed for their value in theorizing such journeys, and in bringing maps (intentions) and journeys (actuality) closer together

How does conformational flexibility influence key structural features involved in activation of anaplastic lymphoma kinase?

Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) plays a major role in developing tumor processes and therefore has emerged as a validated therapeutic target. Applying atomistic molecular dynamics simulations on the wild type enzyme and the nine most frequently occurring and clinically important activation mutants we revealed important conformational effects on key interactions responsible for the activation of the enzyme

First-dose and steady-state pharmacokinetics of orally administered crizotinib in children with solid tumors: a report on ADVL0912 from the Children’s Oncology Group Phase 1/Pilot Consortium

Characterize the pharmacokinetics of oral crizotinib in children with cancer

Characterization of an hrp-aox-polyaniline-graphite composite biosensor

Nowadays there is an increasing demand to develop new and robust biosensors in order to detect low concentrations of different chemicals, in practical and small devices, giving fast and confident responses. The electrode material was a polyaniline-graphite-epoxy composite (PANI/GEC). Alcohol oxidase (AOX) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzymes were immobilized and the responses were tested by cyclic voltammetry. The conductivities for the composites of graphite/polyaniline were determined. The cyclic voltammograms allowed detecting ethanol in pure diluted samples in a range from 0.036 to 2.62 M. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermal gravimetry analysis (TGA) were used to verify the thermal characteristics of the composites (0, 10, 20, 30 and 100 % of graphite). The Imax value was determined for the dual enzyme biosensor (0.0724 mA), and the Kapp m as 1.41 M (with R2 =0.9912)

Embedding patient and public involvement: managing tacit and explicit expectations

Background: Evidencing well-planned and implemented patient and public involvement (PPI) in a research project is increasingly required in funding bids and dissemination activities. There is a tacit expectation that involving people with experience of the condition under study will improve the integrity and quality of the research. This expectation remains largely unproblematised and unchallenged. Objective: To critically evaluate the implementation of PPI activity, including co-research in a programme of research exploring ways to enhance the independence of people with dementia. Design: Using critical cases we make visible and explicate theoretical and moral challenges of PPI. Results: Case 1 explores the challenges of undertaking multiple PPI roles in the same study making explicit different responsibilities of being a co-applicant, PPI advisory member and a co-researcher. Case 2 explores tensions which arose when working with carer co-researchers during data collection; here the co-researcher’s wish to offer support and advice to research participants, a moral imperative, was in conflict with assumptions about the role of the objective interviewer. Case 3 defines and examines co-research data coding and interpretation activities undertaken with people with dementia; reporting the theoretical outputs of the activity and questioning whether this was co-researcher analysis or PPI validation. Conclusion: PPI activity can empower individual PPI volunteers and improve relevance and quality of research but it is a complex activity which is socially constructed in flexible ways with variable outcomes. It cannot be assumed to be simple or universal panacea for increasing the relevance and accessibility of research to the public

Unpacking ‘women’s health’ in the context of PPPs: a return to instrumentalism in development policy and practice?

There has been a significant increase in funding for health programmes in development over the last two decades, partly due to the formation of public–private partnerships. This article examines the impact of public–private partnerships from the perspective of women’s health, asks whether the current culture of funding has led to an increased instrumentalism in women’s health programming and what effects this has on how women’s health is addressed at the level of practice. The article is based on research carried out with UK-based non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and its conclusions raise further challenges for improving women’s health policies and programmes in development

A Partially Supervised Bayesian Image Classification Model with Applications in Diagnosis of Sentinel Lymph Node Metastases in Breast Cancer

A method has been developed for the analysis of images of sentinel lymph nodes generated by a spectral scanning device. The aim is to classify the nodes, excised during surgery for breast cancer, as normal or metastatic. The data from one node constitute spectra at 86 wavelengths for each pixel of a 20*20 grid. For the analysis, the spectra are reduced to scores on two factors, one derived externally from a linear discriminant analysis using spectra taken manually from known normal and metastatic tissue, and one derived from the node under investigation to capture variability orthogonal to the external factor. Then a three-group mixture model (normal, metastatic, non-nodal background) using multivariate t distributions is fitted to the scores, with external data being used to specify informative prior distributions for the parameters of the three distributions. A Markov random field prior imposes smoothness on the image generated by the model. Finally, the node is classified as metastatic if any one pixel in this smoothed image is classified as metastatic. The model parameters were tuned on a training set of nodes, and then the tuned model was tested on a separate validation set of nodes, achieving satisfactory sensitivity and specificity. The aim in developing the analysis was to allow flexibility in the way each node is modelled whilst still using external information. The Bayesian framework employed is ideal for this.Comment: 31 pages, 7 figure

Transnational social capital: the socio‐spatialities of civil society

Civil society remains a contested concept, but one that is widely embedded in global development processes. Transnationalism within civil society scholarship is often described dichotomously, either through hierarchical dependency relations or as a more amorphous networked global civil society. These two contrasting spatial imaginaries produce very particular ideas about how transnational relations contribute to civil society. Drawing on empirical material from research with civil society organizations in Barbados and Grenada, in this article I contend that civil society groups use forms of transnational social capital in their work. This does not, however, resonate with the horizontal relations associated with grassroots globalization or vertical chains of dependence. These social relations are imbued with power and agency and are entangled in situated historical, geographical and personal contexts. I conclude that the diverse transnational social relations that are part of civil society activity offer hope and possibilities for continued civil society action in these unexpected spatial arrangements