Effects of ozone and water stress on plant growth and physiology

Imperial Users onl

Families’ and children’s experience of sport and informal activity in Olympic areas of the East End.

Sport England is interested to know how families with children experience the following aspects of neighbourhood life: involvement in sport; access to facilities; activities for young people; and the engagement of young people in poor areas in the Olympic development. Sport England wanted evidence from our research tracking the experiences of one hundred families in the Hackney and Newham areas, close to the Olympic development. This study aims to uncover how bringing up children is affected by area conditions. The announcement of London’s successful Olympic bid appears to have provoked great interest in many of East London’s local communities. These events coincided with our entering the seventh round of our longitudinal study of families in deprived areas of Hackney and Newham. The families had expressed a high level of concern for young people as they matured beyond the bounds of the immediate family, but found very little to do within the areas they lived in. At the same time they had far too limited resources to be able to travel outside the areas to do constructive activities, as well as having related concerns over time constraints and travelling to unfamiliar locations. As a result, many young people in these areas simply hang around on the streets, either directly causing problems, or more likely creating a threatening environment for adults and local children. There is a high level of economic inactivity, truancy, and lack of access to jobs. The fear for the future of young people in these areas and their circumstances is acute. Local conditions, experiences and attitudes strongly shape and constrain young people’s active engagement in sport. The chair of Sport England asked us to help Sport England by adding questions specifically about the Olympics and about youth participation in sport to our last round of interviews. We also offered to re-examine questions that we had already asked (including data from interviews with one hundred families living in the north of England in a parallel study) relating to outdoor activity, local facilities, and the more general informal provision for children and young people that helped them to socialise.

Working towards integration: Advancing Care Coordination & TeleHealth Deployment (ACT) Programme

This poster gives a summary of the ACT Programme, the sites participating, diseases covered, numbers of patients, project timetable and the aim to provide a ‘toolbox’ of best practice. ACT programmes fall within five broad areas: CC of Management of Chronic and Multimorbid long-term conditions; Management of Chronic and Multimorbid long-term conditions with telehealth; Active patient/prevention/Education; Elderly at home; and Transitional care/post discharge. The number of patients recruited to ACT programmes varied considerably, from the small scale (e.g. Scotland’s REACT project for those over 75 and Groningen’s eDiabetes programme, both with 15-20 patients) to much larger scale (e.g. Lombardy’s Chronic patients with 37,000). Most Programmes (14 out of 17) recruit people with chronic conditions and in some cases these are specified such as Congestive Heart Failure and Diabetes. Patients in recovery or rehabilitation were the second most cited group (12 out of 17). Patients in the preventative category were least likely to enter Programmes (5 out of 17). Some Programmes accept patients at multiple key stages. For example, Groningen’s Effective Cardio Programme accepts patients at the preventative, newly diagnosed, disease management, recovery/rehabilitation, at risk, chronic and palliative stages, in addition to those on new medication. All Programmes reported clear lines of responsibility for the provision of patient care. General Practitioners/Primary Care took responsibility in nine of the 17 Programmes. Elsewhere, specialist nurses held responsibility (e.g. Groningen’s Effective Cardio) or chest physicians (e.g. Groningen’s asthma/COPD Telehealth service). Other Programmes apportioned responsibility at a broader level via a Programme Management Working Group and local managers (Basque Country’s Active Patients) for example, or with a National diabetes standard and regional guidelines (Groningen’s eDiabetes) or with defined care pathways (Scotland’s three Programmes). Further details of the Organisational aspects of the participants in the ACT programme will be presented in the Poste

Representations and lay perceptions of inequalities in health: an analysis of policy documents, press coverage and public understandings

This thesis examines the presentation of UK public health policy in the late 1990s and the associated media coverage of health inequalities. It also examines lay perceptions of these inequalities and of government initiatives to reduce them. Such a project is timely for a number of reasons. Inequalities in health were once again on the political agenda with the electron of a Labour government in 1997. Subsequent media coverage of the government's consultant and policy documents, as well as an independent inquiry, put health inequalities in the public domain. In addition, research into health inequalities had been accumulating. One line of enquiry focused on the role psycho-social mechanisms might play in the causation of ill health, yet little empirical work had been carried out on lay perceptions. Two distinct yet interlinking methodologies were employed in the study. Content analysis was carried out on government public health documents, an independent inquiry, their press releases, and of the subsequent press coverage, in order to examine the profile given to inequalities and the manner in which they were presented. Images and headlines from the press coverage were then used to facilitate discussion, in a focus group setting, on inequality, poverty, and relative deprivation. The government's intention to reduce health inequalities was communicated mainly in broadsheet publications. An absence of coverage in the tabloid media suggest that a large section of the population may have been unaware of the government's intentions. The transition from Green Paper to White led to a dilution of the initial fervour of the government to tackle inequalities, and this lack of emphasis was followed through in media coverage of health policy. What had started out as a strong issue faltered in the journey from consultation to policy. Political affiliation of newspapers greatly affected the way in which the inequalities debate was presented. Striking differnces emerged in the reporting of health inequalities by right and left-of-centre newspapers. Right-of-centre newspapers focused on proposals to improve and promote healthy behaviours, whereas left-wing publications focused their reporting on initiatives targeted at the deprived. Researching lay views on health inequalities, and inequality in society at a broader level, elicited often compelling and emotive responses. The government's intention to reduce health inequalities did not appear to register with participants. Inequalities were not discussed in the manner of a public debate churned out by the media. Rather, inequalities were a sensitive issue, affecting people in a very personal and far reaching manner. Those of lower socio-economic status were often painfully aware of their status in relation to other, and a large proportion expressed frustration, anger and helplessness, and linked such feelings to their health and well-being. Views from higher income groups tended to be more disparate and distanced, yet this only reinforced how polarised certain sections of society have become. The social snapshot presented in this thesis conveys a picture of a fundamentally fractured and divided modern Britain with very direct consequences for the future quality of social life

Dickkopf-3 is upregulated in osteoarthritis and has a chondroprotective role

Objective Dickkopf-3 (Dkk3) is a non-canonical member of the Dkk family of Wnt antagonists and its upregulation has been reported in microarray analysis of cartilage from mouse models of osteoarthritis (OA). In this study we assessed Dkk3 expression in human OA cartilage to ascertain its potential role in chondrocyte signaling and cartilage maintenance. Methods Dkk3 expression was analysed in human adult OA cartilage and synovial tissues and during chondrogenesis of ATDC5 and human mesenchymal stem cells. The role of Dkk3 in cartilage maintenance was analysed by incubation of bovine and human cartilage explants with interleukin-1 (IL1) and oncostatin-M (OSM). Dkk3 expression was measured in cartilage following murine hip avulsion. Whether Dkk3 influenced Wnt, TGF and activin cell signaling was assessed in primary human chondrocytes and SW1353 chondrosarcoma cells using RT-qPCR and luminescence assays. Results Increased gene and protein levels of Dkk3 were detected in human OA cartilage, synovial tissue and synovial fluid. DKK3 expression was decreased during chondrogenesis of both ATDC5 cells and humans MSCs. Dkk3 inhibited IL1 and OSM-mediated proteoglycan loss from human and bovine cartilage explants and collagen loss from bovine cartilage explans. Cartilage DKK3 expression was decreased following hip avulsion injury. TGF signaling was enhanced by Dkk3 and Wnt3a and activin signaling were inhibited. Conclusions We provide evidence that Dkk3 is upregulated in OA and may have a protective effect on cartilage integrity by preventing proteoglycan loss and helping to restore OA-relevant signaling pathway activity. Targeting Dkk3 may be a novel approach in the treatment of OA

Scenarios for the development of smart grids in the UK: literature review

Smart grids are expected to play a central role in any transition to a low-carbon energy future, and much research is currently underway on practically every area of smart grids. However, it is evident that even basic aspects such as theoretical and operational definitions, are yet to be agreed upon and be clearly defined. Some aspects (efficient management of supply, including intermittent supply, two-way communication between the producer and user of electricity, use of IT technology to respond to and manage demand, and ensuring safe and secure electricity distribution) are more commonly accepted than others (such as smart meters) in defining what comprises a smart grid. It is clear that smart grid developments enjoy political and financial support both at UK and EU levels, and from the majority of related industries. The reasons for this vary and include the hope that smart grids will facilitate the achievement of carbon reduction targets, create new employment opportunities, and reduce costs relevant to energy generation (fewer power stations) and distribution (fewer losses and better stability). However, smart grid development depends on additional factors, beyond the energy industry. These relate to issues of public acceptability of relevant technologies and associated risks (e.g. data safety, privacy, cyber security), pricing, competition, and regulation; implying the involvement of a wide range of players such as the industry, regulators and consumers. The above constitute a complex set of variables and actors, and interactions between them. In order to best explore ways of possible deployment of smart grids, the use of scenarios is most adequate, as they can incorporate several parameters and variables into a coherent storyline. Scenarios have been previously used in the context of smart grids, but have traditionally focused on factors such as economic growth or policy evolution. Important additional socio-technical aspects of smart grids emerge from the literature review in this report and therefore need to be incorporated in our scenarios. These can be grouped into four (interlinked) main categories: supply side aspects, demand side aspects, policy and regulation, and technical aspects.

Scenarios for the development of smart grids in the UK: synthesis report

‘Smart grid’ is a catch-all term for the smart options that could transform the ways society produces, delivers and consumes energy, and potentially the way we conceive of these services. Delivering energy more intelligently will be fundamental to decarbonising the UK electricity system at least possible cost, while maintaining security and reliability of supply. Smarter energy delivery is expected to allow the integration of more low carbon technologies and to be much more cost effective than traditional methods, as well as contributing to economic growth by opening up new business and innovation opportunities. Innovating new options for energy system management could lead to cost savings of up to £10bn, even if low carbon technologies do not emerge. This saving will be much higher if UK renewable energy targets are achieved. Building on extensive expert feedback and input, this report describes four smart grid scenarios which consider how the UK’s electricity system might develop to 2050. The scenarios outline how political decisions, as well as those made in regulation, finance, technology, consumer and social behaviour, market design or response, might affect the decisions of other actors and limit or allow the availability of future options. The project aims to explore the degree of uncertainty around the current direction of the electricity system and the complex interactions of a whole host of factors that may lead to any one of a wide range of outcomes. Our addition to this discussion will help decision makers to understand the implications of possible actions and better plan for the future, whilst recognising that it may take any one of a number of forms

The CARESSES study protocol: testing and evaluating culturally competent socially assistive robots among older adults residing in long term care homes through a controlled experimental trial

Background : This article describes the design of an intervention study that focuses on whether and to what degree culturally competent social robots can improve health and well-being related outcomes among older adults residing long-term care homes. The trial forms the final stage of the international, multidisciplinary CARESSES project aimed at designing, developing and evaluating culturally competent robots that can assist older people according to the culture of the individual they are supporting. The importance of cultural competence has been demonstrated in previous nursing literature to be key towards improving health outcomes among patients. Method : This study employed a mixed-method, single-blind, parallel-group controlled before-and-after experimental trial design that took place in England and Japan. It aimed to recruit 45 residents of long-term care homes aged ≥65 years, possess sufficient cognitive and physical health and who self-identify with the English, Indian or Japanese culture (n = 15 each). Participants were allocated to either the experimental group, control group 1 or control group 2 (all n = 15). Those allocated to the experimental group or control group 1 received a Pepper robot programmed with the CARESSES culturally competent artificial intelligence (experimental group) or a limited version of this software (control group 1) for 18 h across 2 weeks. Participants in control group 2 did not receive a robot and continued to receive care as usual. Participants could also nominate their informal carer(s) to participate. Quantitative data collection occurred at baseline, after 1 week of use, and after 2 weeks of use with the latter time-point also including qualitative semi-structured interviews that explored their experience and perceptions further. Quantitative outcomes of interest included perceptions of robotic cultural competence, health-related quality of life, loneliness, user satisfaction, attitudes towards robots and caregiver burden. Discussion : This trial adds to the current preliminary and limited pool of evidence regarding the benefits of socially assistive robots for older adults which to date indicates considerable potential for improving outcomes. It is the first to assess whether and to what extent cultural competence carries importance in generating improvements to well-being