AN EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE KNOWLEDGE FOUNDATIONS OF SOCIAL WORK, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO MENTAL HEALTH AND COMPULSORY ADMISSION ASSESSMENTS

This submission seeks lo establish the case that this corpus of work makes a significant and original contribution to a central problem for social work as a profession: the status in relation to practice of its formal knowledge base. This issue has generated intensive debate, with some claiming a central place for formal knowledge in practice and others a more peripheral position. The debate is inconclusive, but evidence suggests that social workers do not generally use theory in practice. This has necessitated recourse to a 'subconscious assimilation' thesis, but evidence from the main research studies is inconclusive, because of the absence of a comparison group for social workers: it was not possible therefore, to claim that their characteristic processes of making sense were distinctive. Two central problems provide the focus for this thesis: the extent to which formal knowledge is reproduced by social workers in the conduct of their practice, and given the range of conflicting and growing knowledge forms available to social work, principles by which this knowledge could be more closely and overtly related to practice. The first of these was analysed by a comparative analysis of the practice of social workers and community psychiatric nurses, drawing upon the ideas of the occupationally based reproduction of knowledge in practice. The second involved the development of the theory of emergent understanding and social science based assessment schedules, using the exemplar of the development and evaluation of the Compulsory Admissions Assessment Schedule. A central theme is: that formal knowledge is reproduced by social workers in their practice, and that in order to understand this, and further developments in the theory-practice relationship, it is important to assign a central place to meaning. Two key issues emerged in the examination of practice: the occupation based development of meaning involving particularly the knowledge content of training and the nature of the activity - social work - itself, upon which this knowledge is focused. Both entail issues of meaning: how practitioners 'make sense' of the 'stuff of their practice, and the nature of that activity (social work itselQ. The development of further principles and methods for relating formal knowledge more overtly and closely to practice was based on three key dimensions: the nature and limits to social science knowledge (based on a Realist approach), what such knowledge is being applied to (social work) and the way in which meaning is created - how humans characteristically make sense. The ways in which social workers may bring formal knowledge to practice, therefore, involves the knowledge, its focus and the ways in which practitioners may relate these together. The use of social science as a basis for social work involved a recognition that to maximise its relevance it needs to be, as far as possible, consistent with the nature and purposes of social work. This is the basis for the development of three concepts underlying practice led theory: the practice paradigm of social work, the principle of convergence and the principle of adequacy of fit. Two developments of knowledge forms were proposed: one focusing on process issues, the Theory of Emergent Understanding, and the other focusing on the produci of research, Social Science based Assessment Schedules, both of which encapsulate the elements of practice led theory. This work seeks to make a major contribution in an area of first rank importance. It establishes for the first time, that social work possesses a distinctive form of practice consistent with its formal knowledge base. This is evident in terms of the distinctive psychosocial domain of social work, in which interpersonal skills have a major part. In the process this work draws upon a number of concepts from occupational and educational sociology: in particular those of classification and boundary maintenance. It also involves the development of major new theoretical concepts, with which to make sense of the conduct of practice and the development of formal knowledge. These include the concepts of 'reflexive eclecticism', 'progressive hypothesis development', 'comparative hypothesis assessment', the 'practice paradigm of social work', and the principles of 'convergence' and 'adequacy of fit'. These provide significant bases with which principles may be developed through which a practice relevant knowledge base might be developed. The Theory of Emergent Understanding and Social Science Based Assessment Schedules present significant developments in the problem of relating theory and practice, and these concepts present means for further and more closely relating together the practice of social work and its knowledge base

Kirke River fisheries resources assessment, August 1999

Protection of the coastal wetland environments is an important component of effective and sustainable fisheries management and conservation of habitats for the use of future generations. The fishery resources of the Kirke River Area, Queensland (Australia) were investigated in August 1999 as part of the ongoing commitment by the Department of Primary Industries Fisheries group to declare Fish Habitat Areas in Queensland. The fisheries resource assessment of the Kirke River Area included investigations of seagrass distribution and abundance, marine plants and riparian habitats, and fish and crab stocks. Detailed results of the assessment are presented

When 3+1 > 4: Gift Structure and Reciprocity in the Field

Do higher wages elicit reciprocity and hence higher effort? In a field experiment with 266 employees, we find that paying above-market wages, per se, does not have an effect on effort relative to paying market wages. However, structuring a portion of the wage as a clear and unexpected gift (by offering a raise with no further conditions after the employee has accepted the contract – with no future employment) does lead to higher effort for the duration of the job. Targeted gifts are more efficient than hiring more workers. However, the mechanism makes this unlikely to explain persistent above-market wages

The Effects of Environmental Innovation on Market Value

This paper describes the effects of environmental innovation, or EI, on the market value of a firm. EI involves the creation or enhancement of ‘green’ products or ‘eco-efficient’ production processes which result in improved environmental performance. The study involves the selection of a number of press releases related to EI and environmental performance. These form the basis of an event study to determine the effect of these announcements on share prices. Results indicate that the market recognizes the value of EI, especially for product-driven initiatives. It is also found that the market values good environmental performance, particularly when it has been recognized externally through an award, membership, or certification. Implications for policy and for management are discussed

Antecedents of High-growth and Gazelle Enterprises: An Empirical Study

This research explores a problem important to both management strategists and policy-makers: what makes some companies grow rapidly? This topic is important as high-growth companies create a disproportionally high percentage of new jobs. The literature frequently cites sustainable competitive advantage as an explanation for firm performance and growth. Companies can build competitive advantage through the accumulation and development of resources, strategic orientations and unique capabilities. More recently, researchers have looked outside the firm for explanations, concluding that inter-firm co-operative networks and alliances are also important sources of competitive advantage leading to firm growth. While there is an extensive body of literature on firm growth, few studies have specifically addressed the antecedents of rapid firm growth. Much of the available literature is descriptive, for example Birch’s (1987) study of gazelle firms or the OECD (2008) report on high-growth firms. There are however few theoretic models or empirical tests to explain the success of these firms. In response this research explains the occurrence of high-growth firms in terms of the resource- and knowledge-based view, dynamic capabilities, core competencies, and strategic orientation theories. Structural equation and growth mixture models were tested using data gathered from a survey administered to a cross-industry sample of Canadian businesses. The study found that high-growth forms were more likely to be innovators, as well as to have a combination of strong entrepreneurial and market orientations and the ability to manage their business networks. These findings highlight the importance to management of not only responding to market demands but leading the market with innovation and extending firm capabilities and reach through networking. In addition, this research indicates that institutional support for innovation, networking and market development would assist in developing high-growth firms in Canada

Lipopolysaccharide-induced neuroinflammation induces presynaptic disruption through a direct action on brain tissue involving microglia-derived interleukin 1 beta.

BACKGROUND: Systemic inflammation has been linked to synapse loss and cognitive decline in human patients and animal models. A role for microglial release of pro-inflammatory cytokines has been proposed based on in vivo and primary culture studies. However, mechanisms are hard to study in vivo as specific microglial ablation is challenging and the extracellular fluid cannot be sampled without invasive methods. Primary cultures have different limitations as the intricate multicellular architecture in the brain is not fully reproduced. It is essential to confirm proposed brain-specific mechanisms of inflammatory synapse loss directly in brain tissue. Organotypic hippocampal slice cultures (OHSCs) retain much of the in vivo neuronal architecture, synaptic connections and diversity of cell types whilst providing convenient access to manipulate and sample the culture medium and observe cellular reactions. METHODS: OHSCs were generated from P6-P9 C57BL/6 mice. Inflammation was induced via addition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and cultures were analysed for changes in synaptic proteins, gene expression and protein secretion. Microglia were selectively depleted using clodronate, and the effect of IL1β was assessed using a specific neutralising monoclonal antibody. RESULTS: LPS treatment induced loss of the presynaptic protein synaptophysin without altering PSD95 or Aβ protein levels. Depletion of microglia prior to LPS application prevented the loss of synaptophysin, whilst microglia depletion after the inflammatory insult was partially effective, although less so than pre-emptive treatment, indicating a time-critical window in which microglia can induce synaptic damage. IL1β protein and mRNA were increased after LPS addition, with these effects also prevented by microglia depletion. Direct application of IL1β to OHSCs resulted in synaptophysin loss whilst pre-treatment with IL1β neutralising antibody prior to LPS addition prevented a significant loss of synaptophysin but may also impact basal synaptic levels. CONCLUSIONS: The loss of synaptophysin in this system confirms LPS can act directly within brain tissue to disrupt synapses, and we show that microglia are the relevant cellular target when all major CNS cell types are present. By overcoming limitations of primary culture and in vivo work, our study strengthens the evidence for a key role of microglia-derived IL1β in synaptic dysfunction after inflammatory insult.Alzheimer’s Research UK project grant ARUK-PG2015-24 and The John and Lucille Van Geest Foundation

Extended Scope Physiotherapists are Effective and Safe in the Emergency Department: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Purpose: Extended scope physiotherapists (ESPs) are an innovative approach to service delivery that have emerged in response to increasing pressures on emergency departments (EDs). While previous systematic reviews have suggested that ESPs have a positive impact on ED outcomes, clinical practice recommendations based on limited evidence highlight a pressing need for evaluation studies to truly determine their effectiveness and safety in this setting. Therefore, the objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of ESPs when delivering services in EDs. Method: Systematic literature searches were conducted using the online databases: Medline (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), Scopus, PEDro, Cochrane Library and Informit in October, 2019. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) or cohort studies investigating the clinical effectiveness and safety of ESPs in EDs in comparison with usual ED medical care providers were eligible for inclusion. Data extraction was completed using a form specifically developed for the study. The quality of each study was assessed using the Crowe Critical Appraisal Tool (CCAT) as well as a subjective assessment of bias, and the level of evidence was graded using the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) evidence hierarchy. Random-effects model meta-analyses were conducted using Stata (version 16.1). Results: Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review. These studies provided III-1 to III-3 evidence, with quality scores ranging from 50% to 93%. Consistent positive results were found regarding ESP clinical effectiveness and safety with meta-analyses demonstrating significant reductions in wait time (Cohen’s d effect size: -0.54; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.64 to -0.45) and length of stay (Cohen’s d effect size: -0.79; 95% CI: -0.86 to -0.72) for patients managed by ESPs. Although, confounding of results by treatment urgency made it difficult to establish a clear causal link between ESP services and outcomes. Conclusion: Although it was not able to be suggested that ESPs are an appropriate substitute for usual ED medical care due to the presence of bias and confounding, the results highlighted that ESPs, as an additional staff member in EDs, improve throughput and access to care for patients in lower urgency triage categories

Risk Factors for Long-Term Coronary Artery Calcium Progression in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

BackgroundCoronary artery calcium (CAC) detected by noncontrast cardiac computed tomography scanning is a measure of coronary atherosclerosis burden. Increasing CAC levels have been strongly associated with increased coronary events. Prior studies of cardiovascular disease risk factors and CAC progression have been limited by short follow-up or restricted to patients with advanced disease.Methods and resultsWe examined cardiovascular disease risk factors and CAC progression in a prospective multiethnic cohort study. CAC was measured 1 to 4 times (mean 2.5 scans) over 10 years in 6810 adults without preexisting cardiovascular disease. Mean CAC progression was 23.9 Agatston units/year. An innovative application of mixed-effects models investigated associations between cardiovascular disease risk factors and CAC progression. This approach adjusted for time-varying factors, was flexible with respect to follow-up time and number of observations per participant, and allowed simultaneous control of factors associated with both baseline CAC and CAC progression. Models included age, sex, study site, scanner type, and race/ethnicity. Associations were observed between CAC progression and age (14.2 Agatston units/year per 10 years [95% CI 13.0 to 15.5]), male sex (17.8 Agatston units/year [95% CI 15.3 to 20.3]), hypertension (13.8 Agatston units/year [95% CI 11.2 to 16.5]), diabetes (31.3 Agatston units/year [95% CI 27.4 to 35.3]), and other factors.ConclusionsCAC progression analyzed over 10 years of follow-up, with a novel analytical approach, demonstrated strong relationships with risk factors for incident cardiovascular events. Longitudinal CAC progression analyzed in this framework can be used to evaluate novel cardiovascular risk factors

A Wide-Field CCD Survey for Centaurs and Kuiper Belt Objects

A modified Baker-Nunn camera was used to conduct a wide-field survey of 1428 square degrees of sky near the ecliptic in search of bright Kuiper Belt objects and Centaurs. This area is an order of magnitude larger than any previously published CCD survey for Centaurs and Kuiper Belt Objects. No new objects brighter than red magnitude m=18.8 and moving at a rate 1"/hr to 20"/hr were discovered, although one previously discovered Centaur 1997 CU26 Chariklo was serendipitously detected. The parameters of the survey were characterized using both visual and automated techniques. From this survey the empirical projected surface density of Centaurs was found to be SigmaCentaur(m<18.8)=7.8(+16.0 -6.6)x10^-4 per square degree and we found a projected surface density 3sigma upper confidence limit for Kuiper Belt objects of SigmaKBO(m< 18.8)<4.1x10^-3 per square degree. We discuss the current state of the cumulative luminosity functions of both Centaurs and Kuiper Belt objects. Through a Monte Carlo simulation we show that the size distribution of Centaurs is consistent with a q=4 differential power law, similar to the size distribution of the parent Kuiper Belt Objects. The Centaur population is of order 10^7 (radius > 1 km) assuming a geometric albedo of 0.04. About 100 Centaurs are larger than 50 km in radius, of which only 4 are presently known. The current total mass of the Centaurs is 10^-4 Earth Masses. No dust clouds were detected resulting from Kuiper Belt object collisions, placing a 3sigma upper limit <600 collisionally produced clouds of m<18.8 per year.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, Accepted for Publication in A