‘Being Involved in Community Based Research; Lessons from the Objective 1 South Yorkshire Context’

This article reports the findings of a qualitative investigation into community based research within the Objective 1 Programme, South Yorkshire. Based upon semi-structured interviews with participants undertaking community based research and then developing action plans based upon the research findings, the study highlights the issues associated with involvement in such research from participant’s perspectives. Beginning with an examination of involvement in research and then moving on to discuss the wider issues of involvement in regeneration and partnerships, the article argues that despite the increased policy focus on bottom-up approaches, involvement is complex and conceptualised in a number of different ways and therefore requires further investigation

Locally Directed Policy and the Fostering of Social Capital Within Regeneration: The Case of Objective 1 South Yorkshire

This article reports the findings of a qualitative study on the impact of community-based research within the South Yorkshire Objective 1 Programme. Based upon semi-structured interviews with participants who conducted community-based research, the study highlights the social capital impacts arising from the use of such research within development practice particularly in terms of the formation of networks and the development of trust. Although community-based research can enhance social capital, the study demonstrates that this is a complex process and as such is not an easy tool to harness and use within the policy-making process

The community health apprentices project-the outcomes of an intermediate labour market project in the community health sector

This paper reports on the outcomes of the Community Health Apprentices Project, an intermediate labour market (ILM) project delivered in two neighbouring areas of Bradford, England. The project was illustrative of current UK policy in its attempt to both address unemployment and health inequalities. The aim of the paper is to improve understanding of the type and range of outcomes that can result from ILM projects based in the community health sector. A qualitative evaluation was undertaken and interviews were carried out with three groups of stakeholders: the community health apprentices, key informants in the placement organisations and the delivery partners. Findings show that both anticipated and unanticipated outcomes occurred in relation to increased skills for work, improved health and well-being and improved organisational capacity. While there are contextual factors which make this project unique, the findings illustrate the potential range of outcomes that can be achieved when social and emotional support is offered in tandem with work experience. The findings further highlight the organisational benefits of investing in local people to deliver community health work. The paper concludes that in order to build an evidence base for ILM approaches, a broader understanding of outcomes needs to be developed, taking into account social and health outcomes as well as economic indicators

Using community-based research within regeneration. The role of the researcher within community-based approaches - exploring experiences within Objective 1 South Yorkshire

Much attention has been given in recent years to involving community members in research within a number of fields including community development. Indeed, there is a large amount of literature outlining what this process involves and describes the benefits and problems of doing such research across a range of contexts. There has also been some discussion of the different approaches that can be applied under the umbrella of community-based research and their relationship to the outcomes associated with both successful and positive community development. Yet very little attention has been paid to the actual experiences of these lay researchers involved in community-based research in relation to their roles. The nature of the researcher's role as work thus requires critical consideration. This article examines the role of lay researchers within four different approaches to community-based research used for the development of community action plans within the Objective 1, South Yorkshire context. This article reports upon differential roles and types of work in relation to both experiences and outcomes. The article, therefore, addresses what these different researcher roles tell us about community-based research and outlines the implications in relation to community development. © 2013 Taylor & Francis

Lipoprotein Metabolism in the Nephrotic Syndrome in Man

The aim of this thesis was to characterise the abnormalities of plasma lipoprotein metabolism which occur in the nephrotic syndrome in man. Both quantitative and qualitative changes in plasma lipoproteins were documented in a series of 45 consecutive patients with heavy proteinuria. Patients with proteinuria less than the nephrotic range (<3g/24 hours) did not have any significant elevations in cholesterol concentrations compared to controls but there was a relationship between urinary albumin loss and blood cholesterol. Primary hyperlipidaemia was not associated with increased urinary albumin losses. The duration and magnitude of postprandial lipaemia following an oral fat load were not significantly greater in a group of nephrotic subjects compared to controls. However, both groups showed a high degree of interindividual variation. The lipoproteins isolated in the d< 1.006g/mL fraction following an oral fat load did not differ in composition between the two groups. Post-heparin lipase activities were not significantly different. The transfer of apolipoprotein B along the delipidation cascade from very low to low density lipoproteins was investigated using radioiodinated lipoproteins. Overall, apoB synthesis in nephrotic syndrome was not greater than in controls although the range in the nephrotic group was wide (up to four times normal). There was a significant increase in the production of apoB into the smaller, triglyceride-poor VLDL2 density interval. Both VLDL1 and VLDL2 were cleared from the plasma at slower rates in the nephrotic syndrome. There was a modest increase in apoB transfer to LDL. Studies of LDL metabolism revealed a consistent defect in fractional catabolism of LDL by the receptor-mediated pathway. LDL production was closely related to proteinuria and only rose when this exceeded 10g/day. Inhibition of cholesterol synthesis with simvastatin produced dramatic falls in total and LDL-cholesterol in these subjects. Metabolic studies revealed a heterogeneous response with a majority of patients demonstrating increased catabolism of LDL but some showing reduced synthesis. Two serious and potentially worrying adverse events were witnessed during simvastatin therapy. Particles corresponding to both HDL and LDL were isolated form urine collected from nephrotic subjects. The significance of this is uncertain but justified the corrections made for urinary LDL losses in the metabolic studies and gives credence to the suggestion that filterd lipoproteins may be nephrotoxic. The results of these studies are compared with the relatively few previous reports of lipoprotein metabolism in human nephrotic syndrome and the extensive literature on animal work. In man, catabolic defects appear to be at least as important as increases in lipoprotein production in the genesis of the hyperlipidaemia. However, some of the data is difficult to reconcile. Reasons for conflicting observations are discussed and areas requiring further research are highlighted

Phillis Wheatley and Judith Sargent Murray: Revolutionary Founders in Women’s Political Activism and Women’s American Literary Tradition

During the Revolutionary War the dominant belief, held by men and women alike, was that women did not possess the mental capacity or intelligence for politics. Many perceived that women were strictly domestic beings, and therefore could not participate nor contribute to the inherently political war effort. Nonetheless, a few brave women such as Phillis Wheatley and Judith Sargent Murray insisted on participating in the political dialogue of their new nation through their poetry. Through the respective lenses of gender and race, Murray and Wheatley used their literary skills and intellectual abilities to engage with the themes of patriotism, freedom and religion within their poetry. Ultimately, they shaped the nation’s broader political dialogue, pushed gender boundaries, and aided in strengthening the foundation and growth of women’s American literary tradition. Thanks to the rise of the study of women’s history in the 1970s, there is no scarcity of secondary scholarship on politically active women in New England during the Revolutionary War. Although I engage with these broader historical dialogues, for the purpose of this research paper, I primarily focus on primary sources as they pertain to Judith Sargent Murray and Phillis Wheatley, such as their published works, birth and death certificates. Relative to their politically active and revolutionary peers, Murray and Wheatley stand out as two women who took advantage of the opportunities they received and shared similar achievements in life despite their different backgrounds. Both led extraordinary lives and expanded the arena of possibility for women during the Revolution

Feedback Enhanced Sensitivity in Optomechanics: Surpassing the Parametric Instability Barrier

The intracavity power, and hence sensitivity, of optomechanical sensors is commonly limited by parametric instability. Here we characterize the parametric instability induced sensitivity degradation in a micron scale cavity optomechanical system. Feedback via optomechanical transduction and electrical gradient force actuation is applied to suppress the parametric instability. As a result a 5.4 fold increase in mechanical motion transduction sensitivity is achieved to a final value of $1.9\times 10^{-18}\rm m Hz^{-1/2}$.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure