Troubling identities: race, place and positionality among young people in two towns in Northern England

Central to the post-2001 British policy shift from multiculturalism to community cohesion is the assumption that the disturbances were the product of youth identities that were shaped by ‘parallel lives’, and that there is a need for increased contact between communities. There is evidence to support the notion that many young British people, particularly in areas of significant ethnic physical segregation, favour distinct and racialised identifications, although the positional and situational nature of youth identification is sometimes under-stated. This paper draws on research techniques based on word association, carried out in Oldham and Rochdale, two towns in Greater Manchester often portrayed as epitomising ethnic segregation. The research provides some evidence regarding ways in which young people view the ‘other’ in relation to their self-identification, and also how they perceive their town and area. The research suggests that the factors structuring the development of identifications and categorizations are complex and multi-layered, but that, although there is evidence of negative views of ‘out groups’ held by both white and muslim young people, the latter group have more positive place attachments, and attitudes towards multi-culturalism. The findings suggest that the context in which contact between groups takes place may be important for the success of enhanced contact as a strategy

Kirklees Community Cohesion Action Research: Interim Report

This report provides an interim summary of a collaboration between Kirklees Authority, Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing, and a research team from the University of Huddersfield. In this document, we report the main points arising from the project, together with summaries of some of the data. A full analysis of the very considerable amount of data gathered will be produced at the conclusion of the project. As it is not the final version of the report, the authors would be grateful if permission could be sought before drawing on the findings or making direct quotation

The Eurovision St Andrews collection of photographs

This report describes the Eurovision image collection compiled for the ImageCLEF (Cross Language Evaluation Forum) evaluation exercise. The image collection consists of around 30,000 photographs from the collection provided by the University of St Andrews Library. The construction and composition of this unique image collection are described, together with the necessary information to obtain and use the image collection

Pathology and diagnosis of chlamydial abortion in ewes

The placental and fetal lesions of ewes infected with an abortion strain of Chlamydia psittaci in gestation days 85-110 were evaluated. Ewes were examined at selected times 4-60 days post-inoculation. Infection of erythrophagocytic trophoblasts lining placentomal hematomas was identified at 14 days post-inoculation. The infection and associated inflammation quickly spread from the placentomal hematomas to chorioallantoic trophoblasts of the periplacentome and interplacentome. The severity and extent of placental inflammation increased with duration of infection. Severe suppurative placentitis was a consistent finding in fetuses examined 32-60 days post-inoculation. High numbers of chlamydiae were isolated from infected placentas;No significant macroscopic changes were identified in ovine fetuses infected with chlamydiae. Microscopic changes included lymphoid hyperplasia, infiltrates of mononuclear inflammatory cells in portal areas of the liver, and multifocal hepatic necrosis. Fetal tissues contained low numbers of chlamydiae. Spleen, lung, lymph nodes and conjunctival swabs were the best specimens for isolation of chlamydiae;Ultrastructural evaluation of chlamydiae-infected placentas also indicated that chlamydial infection suggested began in erythrophagocytic trophoblasts of placentomal hematomas. Only chorionic trophoblasts contained chlamydiae. Degenerative changes in infected trophoblasts included swelling, vacuolation, loss of organelles and microvilli, and lysis;An avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex immunohistochemical method was developed and evaluated for detection of chlamydial antigen in formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissues. This procedure readily detected chlamydial antigen in the placenta, but not in other fetal tissues;In another study, an indirect microimmunofluorescent (IMIF) procedure was developed and evaluated for detection of chlamydiae-specific antibodies in fetal body fluids and serum. Chlamydiae-specific antibodies and elevated levels of IgG were detected in fluids from infected fetuses examined ≥24 days post-inoculation;Two commercially available ELISA tests that were designed for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis infections in humans, were evaluated for diagnosis of chlamydial infections in ovine placentas and fetal tissues. These tests were less sensitive than chlamydial isolation in cell culture. Cross-reactions with other gram-negative bacteria was a problem of one immunoassay (Chlamydiazyme[superscript] R). In contrast, the solid phase ELISA test (Kodak SureCell[superscript] TM) was highly specific and proved useful for diagnosis of chlamydial infections in sheep

Owners, traders and providers of capital: the multiple faces of institutional investors

We draw on a series of in-depth interviews with senior fund managers and senior company executives to explore how different and often-contradictory conceptualizations of institutional investors, their role in the corporate governance process, and their interactions with corporate management, are reflected in the attitudes and perceptions of the actors concerned. We find that while conceptualizations in terms of agency and ownership dominate both academic and popular discourses, the actors conceptualize institutional investors more as financial traders and, from the management perspective, politically powerful resource providers.corporate governance, institutional investors, power, resource dependence,shareholder value.

The corporate-fund manager interface: objectives, information and valuation

Fund managers are the primary investment decision-makers in the stock market, and corporate executives are their primary sources of information. Meetings between the two are therefore central to stock market investment decisions but are surprisingly under-researched. There is little in the academic literature concerning their aims, content and outcomes. We report findings from interview research conducted with chief financial officers (CFOs) and investor relations managers from FTSE 100 companies and with chief investment officers (CIOs) and fund managers (FMs) from large institutional investors. Of particular interest we note that FMs place great reliance on discounted cash flow valuation models (despite informational asymmetry in favour of CFOs). This leads the former to seek to control encounters with the latter and to place great store on the clarity and consistency of corporate messages, ultimately relying on them for purposes other than estimating fundamental value. We consider some of the consequences of this usage.valuation, institutional shareholders, investor relations

Obesity in the army: prevalence, correlates and prediction

The emergence of obesity as a distinct disease could have far reaching consequences for an organisation where optimum health and physical fitness are required for personnel to perform their occupational roles effectively. The aim of this thesis is to increase our understanding of the prevalence, correlates and predictors of obesity in the British Army. Systematic review indicated a smaller body of knowledge in respect of the treatment and correlates of obesity in military populations. Successful treatment interventions incorporated exercise, healthy eating information, behavioural modification, self-monitoring, relapse prevention, structured follow-up and were supported by trained personnel. The major significant correlates of obesity were being enlisted personnel, male, ≥35 years of age, African-American / Hispanic ethnicity, and married (with spouse present). The review highlighted the deficit in knowledge concerning treatment, and correlates of obesity in military populations. The trend of escalating obesity has prompted some armed forces to report obesity trends and prevalence, the findings of which suggest that obesity is a growing concern in the armed services. A study based on the secondary analysis of data covering 50,000 British Army soldiers indicated that according to BMI, 56.7% of the study population were overweight and of those individuals 12% were obese. When waist circumference data were added to the BMI data, the results indicate that females displayed a higher percentage of risk of obesity related ill-health (a combination of BMI and waist circumference) than males (30.4% and 24% respectively). Further analysis suggested that age, marital status, rank and military employment category were significant correlates of obesity. Additionally, obesity and increased risk of obesity related-ill-health were linked to higher failure and lower attendance on British Army physical tests. Data suggested older army personnel (>30) had a higher pass rate, but a lower attendance rate. The final analysis of all available variables suggested physical test outcome, age, medical status and enlisted status were the most significant predictors of obesity. A final study based on a different study population (n=1124) from the high readiness component of the UK based British Army sought to identify relationships between health behaviours that were not supportive of healthy weight and to understand the predictive influence of individual and collective behaviour in relation to obesity and the risk of obesity related ill-health in military personnel. The investigation used a health behaviour questionnaire to assess health behaviours that might influence weight status. Final analysis of this highly active population suggested, restrained eating, food preparation in the working week, injury status, age, sedentary behaviour, leisure-time physical activity engagement and type of motivation for exercise were the most significant factors. This thesis highlights the lack of knowledge, and gives evidence to support the impact of obesity on individual health and collective occupational capability. Obesity is a complex multifaceted disease where no single causal route predominates. However, the identification of potential causal and predictive relationships will aid in the prevention and treatment of obesity in the British Army