‘Do you ever get this feeling…?’ University teacher narratives from a research-led university

In 2002 a contractually differentiated teaching–focused post, University Teacher (UT), was created within my Russell Group HEI. This interpretivist study seeks to explore the impact of the ‘lived experience’ of this recent post on both myself and a group of 11 colleagues, some of whom were transferred and others employed as UTs. A narrative approach is adopted to evaluate existing public stories of the UK HE sector and changing definitions of academic functions and identities alongside original private stories, both my own and those co-constructed with participants. My primary research comprised in-depth narrative interviews with four Senior UTs, six UTs and one research-focused Lecturer recently transferred from a UT post. The interviews sought to elicit participants’ storied accounts of professional identity construction and management on the career paths towards their current posts and beyond. The interview data was examined reflexively using a pragmatic hybrid model based on a range of narrative analytic lenses: structural and linguistic narrative analysis of three case studies, together with thematic analysis of narratives across all 11 interviews. The participants shared highly personal, emotional and reflective accounts. The case study analysis centred on the identification and scrutiny of overarching plotlines, key episodes, genres and characterisation. The thematic analysis revealed common concerns around the job title, the relative weightings and status of teaching and scholarship, the nature of scholarship and career progression. The complex connection between intra-, inter-, cultural and structural dimensions proved key; personal values and agency, relationships with peers and managers, and institutional and sectoral priorities were all essential to the achievement of a progressive, as opposed to a regressive or static, UT identity typology. UTs clearly had some control over their own agency. However, institutional leaders and line managers were seen to have more significant power to promote or inhibit identity growth for academics on differentiated contracts. Changes have recently been made to the UT post in relation to the job title and promotion criteria. In the conclusions I suggest that further research is needed on the effect of these changes and on the impact of contractual differentiation on staff and students across the HE sector. Implications for institutions and staff on how to facilitate teaching-focused academics’ positive identity growth are also put forward

Community based low threshold substance use services: practitioner approaches and challenges.

Low threshold services are typically provided within community or city settings, either by statutory or community organisations. Services may be staffed by counsellors, key workers or support workers who would normally seek to engage informally with clients and deliver brief, harm reduction focused interventions. In addition, low threshold services often depend on volunteers for staffing and provide new drugs workers who may require high levels of supervision with an entry point into drugs work. A range of issues have emerged in relation to low threshold service provision including high volumes of clients accessing a service, variation in approach and aims of low threshold services and health and safety implications for workers and clients in regard to service users being severely intoxicated, using substances on the premises or overdosing

Effectiveness and safety of oral HIV preexposure prophylaxis for all populations.

ObjectivePreexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) offers a promising new approach to HIV prevention. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the evidence for use of oral PrEP containing tenofovir disoproxil fumarate as an additional HIV prevention strategy in populations at substantial risk for HIV based on HIV acquisition, adverse events, drug resistance, sexual behavior, and reproductive health outcomes.DesignRigorous systematic review and meta-analysis.MethodsA comprehensive search strategy reviewed three electronic databases and conference abstracts through April 2015. Pooled effect estimates were calculated using random-effects meta-analysis.ResultsEighteen studies were included, comprising data from 39 articles and six conference abstracts. Across populations and PrEP regimens, PrEP significantly reduced the risk of HIV acquisition compared with placebo. Trials with PrEP use more than 70% demonstrated the highest PrEP effectiveness (risk ratio = 0.30, 95% confidence interval: 0.21-0.45, P < 0.001) compared with placebo. Trials with low PrEP use did not show a significantly protective effect. Adverse events were similar between PrEP and placebo groups. More cases of drug-resistant HIV infection were found among PrEP users who initiated PrEP while acutely HIV-infected, but incidence of acquiring drug-resistant HIV during PrEP use was low. Studies consistently found no association between PrEP use and changes in sexual risk behavior. PrEP was not associated with increased pregnancy-related adverse events or hormonal contraception effectiveness.ConclusionPrEP is protective against HIV infection across populations, presents few significant safety risks, and there is no evidence of behavioral risk compensation. The effective and cost-effective use of PrEP will require development of best practices for fostering uptake and adherence among people at substantial HIV risk

Childhood contact with social services and self-harm and suicidal ideation in young adulthood: A population-wide cohort study in Northern Ireland

Objectives Childhood contact with social services is associated with adult suicide risk, but little is known about self-harm and suicidal ideation, which are recognised predictors of suicide. This study compares self-harm (SH) and suicidal ideation (SI) in young adults with childhood history of social services contact to unexposed peers. Method A longitudinal, population-wide study of all children born 1985-1993 in Northern Ireland (NI) linking primary care registrations to social services data (1985-2015) and a national registry capturing all SH and SI presentations to the 12 Emergency Departments in NI (2012-2015). Multilevel logistic regression models estimated the association between level of contact with social services in childhood (no contact; referred but assessed as not in need (NIN); child in need (CIN); and child in care (CIC)) and SH, SI and any SH/SI, accounting for confounders and the amount of variation attributable to clustering by Health and Social Care Trust. Results The cohort comprised 253,495 individuals (ages 18-30 years) alive and registered with a general practitioner during follow-up. Of the cohort, 4,026 presented with SH and 1,669 with SI. Individuals with a childhood history of social services contact comprised 10.8% of the cohort (2.9% NIN; 6.5% CIN; and 1.4% CIC) yet accounted for 40.9% of SH/SI cases. Likelihood of SH, SI, and any SH/SI increased stepwise with level of contact with social services. After full adjustment, young adults deemed NIN in childhood were three times more likely to present with SH/SI (OR 3.45 [95% CI 3.07-3.88]), former CIN five times more likely (OR 5.33 [95% CI 4.97-5.74]), and former CIC ten times more likely (OR 10.49 [95% CI 9.45-11.66]), relative to those with no contact. Conclusion Adults with a childhood history of social services contact, including those assessed as not in need, account for a disproportionate number of self-harm and suicidal ideation cases. Timely and targeted interventions aimed at this population have the potential to reduce the burden of self-harm and suicid

Occurrence of OsHV-1 in Crassostrea gigas cultured in Ireland during an exceptionally warm summer. Selection of less susceptible oysters

The occurrence of OsHV-1, a herpes virus causing mass mortality in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas was investigated with the aim to select individuals with different susceptibility to the infection. Naïve spat transferred to infected areas and juveniles currently being grown at those sites were analyzed using molecular and histology approaches. The survey period distinguishes itself by very warm temperatures reaching up to 3.5°C above the average. The virus was not detected in the virus free area although a spread of the disease could be expected due to high temperatures. Overall mortality, prevalence of infection and viral load was higher in spat confirming the higher susceptibility in early life stages. OsHV-1 and oyster mortality were detected in naïve spat after 15 days of cohabitation with infected animals. Although, infection was associated with mortality in spat, the high seawater temperatures could also be the direct cause of mortality at the warmest site. One stock of juveniles suffered an event of abnormal mortality that was significantly associated with OsHV-1 infection. Those animals were infected with a previously undescribed microvariant whereas the other stocks were infected with OsHV-1 μVar. Cell lesions due to the infection were observed by histology and true infections were corroborated by in situ hybridization. Survivors from the natural outbreak were exposed to OsHV-1 μVar by intramuscular injection and were compared to naïve animals. The survival rate in previously exposed animals was significantly higher than in naïve oysters. Results derived from this study allowed the selection of animals that might possess interesting characteristics for future analysis on OsHV-1 resistance

Exploring the practice of 10-11-year-olds as co-researchers: using a hybrid approach in educational research to promote children as interviewers

A critical analysis of the benefits and challenges of adopting a hybrid approach to conducting qualitative research in schools with children as co-researchers is presented. The study involved 18 children (10–11-years), working as co-researchers in pairs to interview each other with a goal of understanding their experiences online, particularly in terms of digital citizenship and mental wellbeing. Children participated in a pre-research lesson for the acquisition of interviewing skills. Analysis identified three key methodological lessons. First, the co-research approach with foundational learning enabled children to be active and responsible interviewers. Second, the adult researcher and school staff had a role in empowering children through empathy, reassurance, positive praise, and supporting them when upset. The final theme recognised the challenges of research being conducted remotely with implications for future research

Changing trends in child welfare inequalities in Northern Ireland

Objectives This study uses longitudinal administrative data to investigate the relationship between area level deprivation and the 1) referral, 2) investigation, 3) registration and 4) looked-after stages of children’s contact with child and family social work in Northern Ireland (NI) from 2010-2017 (stages 1-3) and 2010-2020 (stage 4). Methods Children’s social care data (SOSCARE database) for the years 2010 to 2020 were obtained from the Honest Broker Service in NI. The data were linked with the 2017 NI Multiple Deprivation Measure through the family of origin postcode. Cross-tabulations of year and deprivation decile were used to produce frequencies of children who experienced the four levels of intervention within each of the study years. These were then used to calculate various measures of absolute and relative inequality including the Slope Index of Inequality (SII), the Relative Ratio of Inequality (RRI) and the Relative Index of Inequality (RII). Results There was a clear and increasing social gradient in child welfare interventions over time. Children referred to children’s social care during 2010-2017 were 4-5 times more likely to come from the most deprived areas compared to the least deprived. Despite fairly stable levels of referral inequality, the ratio of children subject to child protection investigations rose from 3 in 2010 to 6 in 2017, the ratio of children subject to child protection plans rose from 4.5 in 2010 to 8 in 2017 and the ratio of children looked after rose from 4 in 2010 to 9 in 2020. This widening inequality was largely driven by the increasing involvement of younger children from the most deprived areas in child protection and looked-after processes. Conclusion In an environment of economic austerity and reduced spending, we are intervening in the lives of children and families living in the most deprived areas of NI at disproportionate rates. The current independent review of children’s social care offers an opportunity to reconfigure current provision with a clear inequalities focus