Understanding Stakeholder Perspectives in the Evolving Figured World of a Widening Participation Initiative.

PhD ThesisWidening Participation (WP), i.e., interventions which increase disadvantaged individuals’ access to higher education (HE), has been on the political agenda for decades. Yet, numbers of disadvantaged individuals in selective higher education institutions (HEIs) and for selective courses (e.g., dentistry) remain low. Many WP studies are atheoretical and theory-driven WP literature mainly focuses on (lack of) various types of capital, which WP initiatives seek to develop. Studies examining targeting of individuals for WP focus on policymakers and WP practitioners at HEIs, but there is very little research on enactment of targeting in schools. This qualitative study explored the evolving perceptions of individuals involved in a new WP initiative (for dentistry and medicine) designed by a highly selective HEI. The purpose was to understand what strategies supported successful pupil engagement and evolution of the initiative and to advance theoretical knowledge of the wider field of WP through analysis of multiple perspectives (dental students, school pupils, school staff and HEI WP practitioners). Data collection included semi-structured interviews, focus groups, documentary artefacts and field note observations. Analysis used the lens of Figured Worlds (FW) – novel in WP research. Findings illuminated ways that different stakeholders enacted targeting of pupils for the WP initiative through principles, pragmatics and prediction. Stakeholders collectively evolved the activities in this initiative through improvisations linked to contextual factors. This ensured its continuation and shaped pupil identities as potential undergraduates. FW studies often use its constituent theoretical concepts selectively. This study benefitted from applying the full range of FW concepts. It provided unique insights into multiple perspectives shaping the evolving WP initiative. The conceptual model of drivers influencing targeting should be tested in other WP contexts. Future WP initiative designs should consider the complex partnerships between schools and HEIs. Development of FW research should consider deeper theorisation in relation to agency

Prognosis of oral epithelial dysplasia in individuals with and without oral lichen planus

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the role of oral lichen planus (OLP) on the long-term prognosis of oral epithelial dysplasia (OED). METHODS: Retrospective single-centre cohort study using the 2007-2019 database of the Head and Neck Cancer and Oral Medicine units of University College London Hospital. The exposure of interest was the presence of OLP and the prognostic outcomes included the development of new primary episodes of OED, progression to malignancy, and mortality. Cox proportional hazard and Poisson regression models were performed. RESULTS: 299 patients, of whom 144 had OED arising on the background of OLP (OLP/OED) and 155 had OED without underlying OLP (non-OLP/OED) were included. A pre-existing diagnosis of OLP was significantly associated with a 2-fold increased risk of subsequent primary OED events (HR=2.02, p=0.04), which also developed faster (1.46 vs 2.96 years, p=0.04) and with more involvement of non-cancer prone sites (p=0.001) than in the non-OLP/OED group. There was no difference between groups in the progression to malignancy or mortality. CONCLUSIONS: OLP/OED patients are at higher risk of multiple episodes of primary OED, which can develop faster and at non-cancer-prone sites as compared to non-OLP/OED individuals. Further research is needed to clarify the effects of OLP upon progression to OSCC and mortality

The IDENTIFY study: the investigation and detection of urological neoplasia in patients referred with suspected urinary tract cancer - a multicentre observational study

Objective To evaluate the contemporary prevalence of urinary tract cancer (bladder cancer, upper tract urothelial cancer [UTUC] and renal cancer) in patients referred to secondary care with haematuria, adjusted for established patient risk markers and geographical variation. Patients and Methods This was an international multicentre prospective observational study. We included patients aged ≥16 years, referred to secondary care with suspected urinary tract cancer. Patients with a known or previous urological malignancy were excluded. We estimated the prevalence of bladder cancer, UTUC, renal cancer and prostate cancer; stratified by age, type of haematuria, sex, and smoking. We used a multivariable mixed-effects logistic regression to adjust cancer prevalence for age, type of haematuria, sex, smoking, hospitals, and countries. Results Of the 11 059 patients assessed for eligibility, 10 896 were included from 110 hospitals across 26 countries. The overall adjusted cancer prevalence (n = 2257) was 28.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] 22.3–34.1), bladder cancer (n = 1951) 24.7% (95% CI 19.1–30.2), UTUC (n = 128) 1.14% (95% CI 0.77–1.52), renal cancer (n = 107) 1.05% (95% CI 0.80–1.29), and prostate cancer (n = 124) 1.75% (95% CI 1.32–2.18). The odds ratios for patient risk markers in the model for all cancers were: age 1.04 (95% CI 1.03–1.05; P < 0.001), visible haematuria 3.47 (95% CI 2.90–4.15; P < 0.001), male sex 1.30 (95% CI 1.14–1.50; P < 0.001), and smoking 2.70 (95% CI 2.30–3.18; P < 0.001). Conclusions A better understanding of cancer prevalence across an international population is required to inform clinical guidelines. We are the first to report urinary tract cancer prevalence across an international population in patients referred to secondary care, adjusted for patient risk markers and geographical variation. Bladder cancer was the most prevalent disease. Visible haematuria was the strongest predictor for urinary tract cancer

Abstracts from the 8th International Conference on cGMP Generators, Effectors and Therapeutic Implications

This work was supported by a restricted research grant of Bayer AG

Angiographic guided sclerotherapy as a treatment modality of an orbital mass

We report a case of a 6-year-old child who presented with an orbital mass, in which invasive and non-invasive radiological investigations were used for diagnosis and its subsequent management with angiographic guided intralesional sclerotherapy using 3% sodium tetradeclysulphate. Angiographic guided sclerotherapy prevents accidental injection into major vessel and its extravasation into surrounding tissue. The use of sclerosing agents in the treatment of lymhangiomas of the orbit and other parts of body is known but angiographic guided sclerotherapy in the treatment of a vascular orbital mass is still not well-known

Conventional and microwave assisted synthesis of small molecule based biologically active heterocyclic amidine derivatives

Heterocyclic amidine derivatives have been synthesized by condensation of 2-cyanopyrazine, 4-cyanopyridine and 2-cyanopyridine with furfurylamine, histamine, 1-(3-aminopropyl)imidazole, 4-picolylamine, 2-picolylamine, and tryptamine respectively, in the presence of sodium methoxide as well as via microwave irradiation in good yields. All these compounds were screened for anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities. At a dose of 50 mg/kg p.o. compounds 3a (36.6%), 3d (32%), 4d (31.0%) and 4e(33.8%) exhibited good anti-inflammatory activity, comparable to standard drug ibuprofen which showed 39% activity at 50 mg/kg p.o

Microwave-assisted synthesis of N-substituted cyclic imides and their evaluation for anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities

A number of N-substituted cyclic imides 3a–e, 5a–e, 7a–d, and 9a–e have been synthesized in very high yields, by condensation of various diacids 2, 4, 6, and 8 with different amines under microwave irradiation.These compounds were screened for anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities, and compounds 3c, 3e, 5c, 9c, and 9d exhibited anticancer activity against colon (COLO 205) cancer better than 5-fluorouracil and mitomycin-C, and compound 9b exhibited anti-inflammatory activity better than standard drug phenyl butazone