Exploring Diverse Adolescents & Youth Education Across the Displacement Linear: Education in Emergencies (EiE) Experiences and Colonial Entanglements

This thesis explores diverse, forcibly displaced youths'experiences of education in emergencies (EiE) responses in South Sudan, the UK and Jordan and how colonial legacies continue to permeate the types and modes of education programmes that are designed, funded, and implemented. This thesis draws on the Black radical tradition (BRT) as a conceptual and methodological framing. In addition, connecting EiE and BRT scholarship enables new discourses that counter hegemonic and ahistorical narratives of aid to surface and instead illustrate power asymmetries, coloniality, and conflict-affected communities' cultural wealth in challenging limited educational opportunities. This study intends to contribute to critical EiE scholarship, highlighting the heterogeneity of forcibly displaced youth and challenging universalising discourses that erase the EiE experiences of racialised and othered identities. To explore the research inquiry, I use a multi-sited, multi-scalar research approach to co- design a digital storytelling action research praxis with 60 young people in South Sudan, Jordan and the UK, alongside 26 key informant interviews with EiE practitioners to address the research areas. The key findings highlighted that intersectionality matters in EIE, in that forcibly displaced young people's educational experiences are intimately connected to their situated positions, often shaped by colonialism. Similarly, these dynamics profoundly impact and shape the EiE sector. Notwithstanding, some young people resist limited education trajectories, in myriad ways, from leveraging family and community networks to exercising personal agency, seeking out, and setting up learning opportunities. A secondary objective of this study is to challenge the dominant modes of knowledge production and ways of working in the EiE field and to interrogate its conceptual framings by bringing to the fore the issues that young people want to highlight in their educational experiences when enabled to do so through using the digital storytelling research praxis

Genetic and Agronomic Control of Free Asparagine Accumulation in Wheat (Triticum aestivum)

Acrylamide is a processing contaminant found in many different foods. It is formed from free (soluble, non-protein) asparagine and reducing sugars during the Maillard reaction, which occurs during low-moisture, high-temperature processing. In wheat-based food products, free asparagine is the key determinant of how much acrylamide forms, so the amount of acrylamide in wheat-based food products can be decreased by minimising the amount of free asparagine that accumulates in wheat grain. Agronomic and genetic strategies have previously been explored to reduce free asparagine accumulation in wheat grain, but a small proportion of products still continue to exceed recommendations set by the European Union, likely due to fluctuations in free asparagine content. Consequently, there is a need to develop more strategies to limit free asparagine accumulation in wheat grain. In this thesis, new findings relevant to the genetic and agronomic control of grain asparagine accumulation are discussed. Firstly, a presence/absence variation of one of the asparagine synthetase 2 homoeologs was analysed and found to reduce grain free asparagine content in the field. Secondly, variation in grain asparagine content and other traits was explored in a soft wheat mapping population, enabling identification of a QTL controlling free asparagine. A soft wheat population was used because this project sought to reduce the acrylamide content of soft wheat products, most notably biscuits. Finally, the impact of different fertilisers on grain asparagine accumulation was investigated in the field, facilitating further analysis of how this translates to differences in biscuit acrylamide content and the potential for imaging of plants and seeds to predict grain asparagine content. This showed that a nitrogen to sulphur application ratio of 10:1 (kg/ha) was sufficient to prevent large increases in free asparagine and that imaging could accurately predict free asparagine content. Overall, this body of work highlights interesting effects of genetic and environmental factors on grain asparagine content that can be used to inform future strategies for grain asparagine reduction

Progress towards the production of potatoes and cereals with low acrylamide-forming potential

The presence of acrylamide in foods derived from grains, tubers, storage roots, beans and other crop products has become a difficult problem for the food industry. Here we review how acrylamide is formed predominantly from free asparagine and reducing sugars, the relationship between precursor concentration and acrylamide formation, and the challenge of complying with increasingly stringent regulations. Progress made in reducing acrylamide levels in foods is assessed, along with the difficulty of dealing with a raw material that may be highly variable due to plant responses to nutrition, disease and cold storage. The potential for plant breeding and biotechnology to deliver low acrylamide varieties is assessed, in the context of a regulatory landscape covering acrylamide, crop biotechnology and crop protection

The sulphur response in wheat and its implications for acrylamide formation and food safety

Free (soluble, non-protein) asparagine concentration can increase many-fold in wheat grain in response to sulphur deficiency. This exacerbates a major food safety and regulatory compliance problem for the food industry because free asparagine may be converted to the carcinogenic contaminant, acrylamide, during baking and processing. Here we describe the predominant route for the conversion of asparagine to acrylamide in the Maillard reaction. The effect of sulphur deficiency and its interaction with nitrogen availability is reviewed, and we reiterate our advice that sulphur should be applied to wheat being grown for human consumption at a rate of 20 kg per hectare. We describe the genetic control of free asparagine accumulation, including genes that encode metabolic enzymes (asparagine synthetase, glutamine synthetase, glutamate synthetase and asparaginase), regulatory protein kinases (SnRK1 and GCN2) and bZIP transcription factors, and how this genetic control responds to sulphur, highlighting the importance of asparagine synthetase-2 (ASN2) expression in the embryo. We show that expression of glutamate-cysteine ligase is reduced in response to sulphur deficiency, probably compromising glutathione synthesis. Finally, we describe unexpected effects of sulphur deficiency on carbon metabolism in the endosperm, with large increases in expression of sucrose synthase-2 (SuSy2) and starch synthases

Sclerostin does not play a major role in the pathogenesis of skeletal complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus

In contrast to previously reported elevations in serum sclerostin levels in diabetic patients, the present study shows that the impaired bone microarchitecture and cellular turnover associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)-like conditions in ZDF rats are not correlated with changes in serum and bone sclerostin expression. INTRODUCTION: T2DM is associated with impaired skeletal structure and a higher prevalence of bone fractures. Sclerostin, a negative regulator of bone formation, is elevated in serum of diabetic patients. We aimed to relate changes in bone architecture and cellular activities to sclerostin production in the Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rat. METHODS: Bone density and architecture were measured by micro-CT and bone remodelling by histomorphometry in tibiae and femurs of 14-week-old male ZDF rats and lean Zucker controls (n = 6/group). RESULTS: ZDF rats showed lower trabecular bone mineral density and bone mass compared to controls, due to decreases in bone volume and thickness, along with impaired bone connectivity and cortical bone geometry. Bone remodelling was impaired in diabetic rats, demonstrated by decreased bone formation rate and increased percentage of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-positive osteoclastic surfaces. Serum sclerostin levels (ELISA) were higher in ZDF compared to lean rats at 9 weeks (+40 %, p < 0.01), but this difference disappeared as their glucose control deteriorated and by week 14, ZDF rats had lower sclerostin levels than control rats (-44 %, p < 0.0001). Bone sclerostin mRNA (qPCR) and protein (immunohistochemistry) were similar in ZDF, and lean rats at 14 weeks and genotype did not affect the number of empty osteocytic lacunae in cortical and trabecular bone. CONCLUSION: T2DM results in impaired skeletal architecture through altered remodelling pathways, but despite altered serum levels, it does not appear that sclerostin contributes to the deleterious effect of T2DM in rat bone

ASK FOR INFORMATION RETRIEVAL: PART I. BACKGROUND AND THEORY

We report the results of a British Library Research and Development Department funded design study for an interactive information retrieval system which will determine structural representations of the anomalous states of knowledge (ASKs) underlying information needs, and attempt to resolve the anomalies through a variety of retrieval strategies performed on a database of documents represented in compatible structural formats. Part I discusses the background to the project and the theory underlying it, Part II (next issue) presents our methods, results and conclusions. Basic premises of the project were: that information needs are not in principle precisely specifiable; that it is possible to elicit problem statements from information system users from which representations of the ASK underlying the need can be derived; that there are classes of ASKs; and, that all elements of information retrieval systems ought to be based on the user\u27s ASK. We have developed a relatively freeform interview technique for eliciting problem statements, and a statistical word co-occurrence analysis for deriving network representations of the problem statements and abstracts. Structural characteristics of the representations have been used to determine classes of ASKs, and both ASK and information structures have been evaluated by, respectively, users and authors. Some results are: that interviewing appears to be a satisfactory technique for eliciting problem statements from which ASKs can be determined; that the statistical analysis produces structures which are generally appropriate both for documents and problem statements; that ASKs thus represented can be usefully classified according to their structural characteristics; and, that of thirty-five subjects, only two had ASKs for which traditional \u27best match\u27 retrieval would be intuitively appropriate. The results of the design study indicate that at least some of our premises are reasonable, and that an ASK-based information retrieval system is at least feasible

ASK FOR INFORMATION RETRIEVAL: PART II. RESULTS OF A DESIGN STUDY

In \u27ASK for Information Retrieval: Part P1, we discussed the theory and background to a design study for an information retrieval (IR) system based on the attempt to represent the anomalous states of knowledge (ASKs) underlying information needs. In Part 11, we report the methods and results of the design study, and our conclusions

La dieta de las clases trabajadoras a finales del siglo XIX en Gran Bretaña

Data from 6 surveys carried out between 1887 and 1901 were analysed for 151 farnilies budgets divided into 5 income groups, ranging from those very poor farnilies with irregular incomes to those keeping servants. The average weekly consumption of bread, potatoes, sugar, cereals, meat and milk was calculated, as well as the daily intake of energy, protein, carbohydrates, calcium and iron.It was found that the first 2 groups got very poor diets, the 3rd group got a diet corresponding to average but still poor. An improvement could be observed with the 2 groups in the upper income range in all foods, particularly in milk.Farnilies spent 58% of their income on food. Bread, flour and potatoes were the staples among the farnilies surveyed, providing 61% of total energy intake. Meat provided 11% of energy and 29% of expenditure. Status of foods also had an impact on intake; there may have been persistent prejudice against fruit, vegetables and milk.; El artículo incluye los datos de 6 estudios realizados entre 1887 y 1901, correspondientes a 151 presupuestos familiares divididos en 5 grupos de ingresos comprendidos entre familias pobres con ingresos irregulares y fami lias con criados. Se calculó el consumo semanal de pan, patatas, azúcar, cerea les, carne y leche, además de la ingesta diaria de energía, proteínas, carbohidratos, calcio y hierro.Se pudo constatar que los primeros 2 grupos tenían una dieta muy pobre, el tercer grupo tenía una dieta más cercana a la media, pero todavía insuficiente, y sólo se pudo observar una mejora entre los grupos de la franja superior de ingresos con respecto a todos los alimentos, especialmente la leche.Las familias gastaban el 58% de sus ingresos en alimentos. El pan, la harina y las patatas eran los alimentos básicos entre las familias estudiadas, proporcio nando el 61% de la ingesta total de energía. La carne representaba el 11% de la energía y el 29% del gasto, pudiendo observarse que el estatus de los alimentos afectaba a su consumo, con la posibilidad de que se diesen ciertos prejuicios negativos hacia la fruta, las verduras y la leche

Caring for a marginalised community: the costs of engaging with culture and complexity

The document attached has been archived with permission from the editor of the Medical Journal of Australia. An external link to the publisher’s copy is included.The Care and Prevention Programme (CPP) began in 1998. It is based on the philosophy of primary health care, and has improved health among homosexually active men, including about a third of HIV-positive South Australians. The CPP was assessed using financial analysis and qualitative methods. Participants wanted to access care where they could feel comfortable and safe to talk about issues of sexuality and lifestyle. The CPP model is "economically" sustainable, but not "financially" sustainable within the Medicare Benefits Schedule. It is vulnerable to changes in political environment. The financing model for the CPP has been adapted by including state funding. General practitioners have adapted by lowering their personal incomes (but not quality of care). These adaptations have achieved fragile financial viability. Facilitators of sustainability for the CPP included: It is part of the community that it serves; The creation of deeply integrated networks of diversity-competent service providers; and "Virtuous non-adaptability" of service providers in refusing to compromise care standards despite financial pressure to do so. Threats to sustainability included: Difficulty maintaining a diversity-competent workforce skilled in HIV medicine; Marginal financial viability; and Political vulnerability.Gary D Rogers, Christopher A Barton, Brita A Pekarsky, Ann C Lawless, Joy M Oddy, Rebecca Hepworth and Justin J Beilb