Living absence:the strange geographies of missing people

In this paper ‘missing people’ gain an unstable presence through their (restaged) testimonies recounting individual occupations of material urban public space during the lived practice of absence. We explore ‘missing experience’ with reference to homeless geographies, and as constituted by paradoxical spatialities in which people are both absent and present. We seek to understand such urban geographies of absence through diverse voices of missing people, who discuss their embodiment of unusual rhythmic occupations of the city. We conclude by considering how a new politics of missing people might take account of such voices in ways to think further about rights-to-be-absent in the city

Missing persons:the processes and challenges of police investigation

Responding to reports of missing persons represents one of the biggest demands on the resources of police organisations. In the UK, for example, it is estimated that over 300,000 missing persons incidents are recorded by the police each year which means that a person in the UK is recorded missing by the police approximately every two minutes. However, there is a complex web of behaviours that surround the phenomenon of missing persons which can make it difficult to establish whether someone's disappearance is ‘intentional’ or ‘unintentional’ or whether they might be at risk of harm from themselves or others. Drawing on a set of missing person case reconstructions and interviews with the officers involved with these cases, this paper provides insights into the different stages of the investigative process and some of the key influences which shape the trajectory of a missing person's investigation. In particular, it highlights the complex interplay between actions which are ‘ordered and conditioned’ by a procedural discourse around how missing persons investigations should be conducted, and the narratives that officers construct about how they approach investigations which are often shaped by a mix of police craft, ‘science’ and ‘reputational’ issues

Geographies of Missing Adults

‘Every case is different [...] routine kills. I demand from my people that they look at every case from scratch as if they know nothing and it’s from looking at a case from that way that you will see some details. Some specific elements that make a case unique. [...] Never exclude anything [...] everything is possible’, Alain Remue, Head of the Belgium Federal Police's Missing Person's Unit (17 May 2013). Alain Remue, in a recent address to a European meeting of researchers on missing people, reminds us of the need to regard each missing person episode as a unique single event. Understanding the way in which people interact with the environments around them is an integral part of comprehending the behaviour of missing people and their unique journeys, and as such is the focus of this chapter. Whenever a person is reported missing to the police, there is an obvious need to locate an individual in space and time. The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) provide a definition of ‘missing’ equating to '… anyone whose whereabouts cannot be established …', and a definition of ‘absent’ as 'a person not at a place where they are expected or required to be' (ACPO 2013: 5) clearly indicating that when someone is reported as missing to the police, it is because their geographical location at that moment in time is unknown or uncertain. To complicate matters, the individual may not be static in their situation or behaviour, and may move over time, through space, navigating the environment on an evolving journey, which could also be considered uncertain in terms of its intentionality (Stevenson et al. 2013). Consequently, searching for a missing person can be a complicated process for any agency, involving interpreting the interplay of spatial, environmental and human elements at stake. In this chapter, we elaborate these complexities, and seek to use recent research evidence to shed new light on missing adult geographies and journeys

Prednisolone therapy for chronic hepatitis in English springer spaniels: a prospective study of 12 cases.

BACKGROUND: English springer spaniels (ESS) show an increased risk of chronic hepatitis (CH). In a previous study of 68 ESS with CH, in which only one dog received corticosteroids, a median survival time of 189 days was noted. Some ESS with CH appear to improve with prednisolone treatment; therefore, we aimed to investigate the response to prednisolone in this breed. PARTICIPANTS: ESS with histologically confirmed idiopathic CH were treated with prednisolone 1-2 mg/kg/day. Nine female and three male ESS were enrolled (median age at diagnosis of five years). Patients were monitored clinically and had biochemistry samples taken to assess markers of hepatocellular damage and function. RESULTS: The mean starting dose of prednisolone was 1.1 mg/kg/day. All symptomatic patients showed an initial clinical improvement. Two cases were euthanased while receiving prednisolone. The median time since diagnosis is 1715 days (range: 672-2105 days) and the remaining patients are clinically well, with seven patients still receiving a mean dose of 0.4 mg/kg prednisolone every other day. Statistical analysis demonstrated significant (P<0.05) reductions in serum alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase and bilirubin following 2-4 weeks of prednisolone treatment. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates improved clinical and biochemical parameters when some ESS with CH are managed with prednisolone and standard supportive treatments

Polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies for induction therapy in kidney transplant recipients

Background Prolonging kidney transplant survival is an important clinical priority. Induction immunosuppression with antibody therapy is recommended at transplantation and non‐depleting interleukin‐2 receptor monoclonal antibodies (IL2Ra) are considered first line. It is suggested that recipients at high risk of rejection should receive lymphocyte‐depleting antibodies but the relative benefits and harms of the available agents are uncertain. Objectives We aimed to: evaluate the relative and absolute effects of different antibody preparations (except IL2Ra) when used as induction therapy in kidney transplant recipients; determine how the benefits and adverse events vary for each antibody preparation; determine how the benefits and harms vary for different formulations of antibody preparation; and determine whether the benefits and harms vary in specific subgroups of recipients (e.g. children and sensitised recipients). Search methods We searched the Cochrane Kidney and Transplant's Specialised Register to 29 August 2016 through contact with the Information Specialist using search terms relevant to this review. Selection criteria Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies with placebo, no treatment, or other antibody therapy in adults and children who had received a kidney transplant. Data collection and analysis Two authors independently extracted data and assessed risk of bias. Dichotomous outcomes are reported as relative risk (RR) and continuous outcomes as mean difference (MD) together with their 95% confidence intervals (CI). Main results We included 99 studies (269 records; 8956 participants; 33 with contemporary agents). Methodology was incompletely reported in most studies leading to lower confidence in the treatment estimates. Antithymocyte globulin (ATG) prevented acute graft rejection (17 studies: RR 0.63, 95% CI 0.51 to 0.78). The benefits of ATG on graft rejection were similar when used with (12 studies: RR 0.61, 0.49 to 0.76) or without (5 studies: RR 0.65, 0.43 to 0.98) calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) treatment. ATG (with CNI therapy) had uncertain effects on death (3 to 6 months, 3 studies: RR 0.41, 0.13 to 1.22; 1 to 2 years, 5 studies: RR 0.75, 0.27 to 2.06; 5 years, 2 studies: RR 0.94, 0.11 to 7.81) and graft loss (3 to 6 months, 4 studies: RR 0.60, 0.34 to 1.05; 1 to 2 years, 3 studies: RR 0.65, 0.36 to 1.19). The effect of ATG on death‐censored graft loss was uncertain at 1 to 2 years and 5 years. In non‐CNI studies, ATG had uncertain effects on death but reduced death‐censored graft loss (6 studies: RR 0.55, 0.38 to 0.78). When CNI and older non‐CNI studies were combined, a benefit was seen with ATG at 1 to 2 years for both all‐cause graft loss (7 studies: RR 0.71, 0.53 to 0.95) and death‐censored graft loss (8 studies: RR 0.55, 0.39 to 0.77) but not sustained longer term. ATG increased cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection (6 studies: RR 1.55, 1.24 to 1.95), leucopenia (4 studies: RR 3.86, 2.79 to 5.34) and thrombocytopenia (4 studies: RR 2.41, 1.61 to 3.61) but had uncertain effects on delayed graft function, malignancy, post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD), and new onset diabetes after transplantation (NODAT). Alemtuzumab was compared to ATG in six studies (446 patients) with early steroid withdrawal (ESW) or steroid minimisation. Alemtuzumab plus steroid minimisation reduced acute rejection compared to ATG at one year (4 studies: RR 0.57, 0.35 to 0.93). In the two studies with ESW only in the alemtuzumab arm, the effect of alemtuzumab on acute rejection at 1 year was uncertain compared to ATG (RR 1.27, 0.50 to 3.19). Alemtuzumab had uncertain effects on death (1 year, 2 studies: RR 0.39, 0.06 to 2.42; 2 to 3 years, 3 studies: RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.15 to 2.95), graft loss (1 year, 2 studies: RR 0.39, 0.13 to 1.30; 2 to 3 years, 3 studies: RR 0.98, 95% CI 0.47 to 2.06), and death‐censored graft loss (1 year, 2 studies: RR 0.38, 0.08 to 1.81; 2 to 3 years, 3 studies: RR 2.45, 95% CI 0.67 to 8.97) compared to ATG. Creatinine clearance was lower with alemtuzumab plus ESW at 6 months (2 studies: MD ‐13.35 mL/min, ‐23.91 to ‐2.80) and 2 years (2 studies: MD ‐12.86 mL/min, ‐23.73 to ‐2.00) compared to ATG plus triple maintenance. Across all 6 studies, the effect of alemtuzumab versus ATG was uncertain on all‐cause infection, CMV infection, BK virus infection, malignancy, and PTLD. The effect of alemtuzumab with steroid minimisation on NODAT was uncertain, compared to ATG with steroid maintenance. Alemtuzumab plus ESW compared with triple maintenance without induction therapy had uncertain effects on death and all‐cause graft loss at 1 year, acute rejection at 6 months and 1 year. CMV infection was increased (2 studies: RR 2.28, 1.18 to 4.40). Treatment effects were uncertain for NODAT, thrombocytopenia, and malignancy or PTLD. Rituximab had uncertain effects on death, graft loss, acute rejection and all other adverse outcomes compared to placebo. Authors' conclusions ATG reduces acute rejection but has uncertain effects on death, graft survival, malignancy and NODAT, and increases CMV infection, thrombocytopenia and leucopenia. Given a 45% acute rejection risk without ATG induction, seven patients would need treatment to prevent one having rejection, while incurring an additional patient experiencing CMV disease for every 12 treated. Excluding non‐CNI studies, the risk of rejection was 37% without induction with six patients needing treatment to prevent one having rejection. In the context of steroid minimisation, alemtuzumab prevents acute rejection at 1 year compared to ATG. Eleven patients would require treatment with alemtuzumab to prevent 1 having rejection, assuming a 21% rejection risk with ATG. Triple maintenance without induction therapy compared to alemtuzumab combined with ESW had similar rates of acute rejection but adverse effects including NODAT were poorly documented. Alemtuzumab plus steroid withdrawal would cause one additional patient experiencing CMV disease for every six patients treated compared to no induction and triple maintenance, in the absence of any clinical benefit. Overall, ATG and alemtuzumab decrease acute rejection at a cost of increased CMV disease while patient‐centred outcomes (reduced death or lower toxicity) do not appear to be improved

Predictions for the Detection and Characterization of a Population ofFree-floating Planets with K2 Campaign 9

K2 Campaign 9 (K2C9) offers the first chance to measure parallaxes and masses of members of the large population of free-floating planets (FFPs) that has previously been inferred from measurements of the rate of short-timescale microlensing events. Using detailed simulations of the nominal campaign (ignoring the loss of events due to Kepler\u27s emergency mode) and ground-based microlensing surveys, we predict the number of events that can be detected if there is a population of 1 MjupiterFFPs matching current observational constraints. Using a Fisher matrix analysis, we also estimate the number of detections for which it will be possible to measure the microlensing parallax, angular Einstein radius, and FFP mass. We predict that between 1.4 and 7.9 events will be detected in the K2 data, depending on the noise floor that can be reached, but with the optimistic scenario being more likely. For nearly all of these, it will be possible to either measure the parallax or constrain it to be probabilistically consistent with only planetary-mass lenses. We expect that for between 0.42 and 0.98 events it will be possible to gain a complete solution and measure the FFP mass. For the emergency-mode truncated campaign, these numbers are reduced by 20 percent. We argue that when combined with prompt high-resolution imaging of a larger sample of short-timescale events, K2C9 will conclusively determine if the putative FFP population is indeed both planetary and free-floating

Critical Issues in Higher Education for the Public Good: Qualitative, Quantitative & Historical Research Perspectives

Critical Issues in Higher Education for the Public Good offers new evidence and insights into the complexities of higher education and the public good. This unique collection of award winning authors discusses what is needed in order to actualize higher education for the public good, where higher education and the public are inclusive of multiple constituencies. Issues of race, class, gender, ethnicity, urban environments, and systemic oppression are addressed, along with teaching and learning, study abroad, affirmative action and community-university engagement. This book represents an ongoing commitment to bring new scholarly voices into a public discussion about the relationship that exists between higher education and American society. In organizing the writing project that is reflected in these chapters, we sought to provide original empirical evidence regarding the myriad benefits between higher education and society situated within a contemporary context. The degree to which this goal has been met is a reflection of the insight, scholarship and creativity of the authors represented in these chapters. We all owe them a debt of thanks for what they have brought to their work and for their career-long commitment to higher education for the public good. It has resulted in a book that has local, state and national implications for educational practice, policy and the public; furthermore, this is a book that breaks down old frameworks that needed to be challenged, replacing them with new ideas to be explored and debated.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/ksupresslegacy/1001/thumbnail.jp

Histoire de l’histoire de l’art en Grande-Bretagne : grandes tendances et nouveaux débats

Stephen Bann | Histoire de l’histoire de l’art en Grande-Bretagne : grandes tendances et nouveaux débats Après l’apport des historiens de l’art européens arrivés en Angleterre dans les années 1930, où en est l’histoire de l’art en Grande-Bretagne ? Pour comprendre l’évolution récente de l’historiographie britannique (ou anglo-saxonne ?), s’est rapidement imposé l’intérêt de traduire l’article de Stephen Bann (« The History of Art History in Britain: a Critical Context for Recent Developments ..

Multitask learning over shared subspaces

This paper uses constructs from machine learning to define pairs of learning tasks that either shared or did not share a common subspace. Human subjects then learnt these tasks using a feedback-based approach and we hypothesised that learning would be boosted for shared subspaces. Our findings broadly supported this hypothesis with either better performance on the second task if it shared the same subspace as the first, or positive correlations over task performance for shared subspaces. These empirical findings were compared to the behaviour of a Neural Network model trained using sequential Bayesian learning and human performance was found to be consistent with a minimal capacity variant of this model. Networks with an increased representational capacity, and networks without Bayesian learning, did not show these transfer effects. We propose that the concept of shared subspaces provides a useful framework for the experimental study of human multitask and transfer learning