Investment intermediaries in economic development: Linking public pension funds to urban revitalization

It is difficult for large investors, such as pension funds, to make investments in EDMs because they must make very large investments. The investments in communities of need, however, are usually small. The most successful strategy to overcome these two problems is for investors to work in concert with intermediaries that can aggregate the investments and community partners that understand both the need of communities and know how to tell “the story” to investors.

Utopia on tour: exploring a generative relationship between dramaturgy, devising, touring and utopia

This practice-as-research thesis proposes a novel understanding about the relationship between utopia and theatre, by investigating it as a question of method. Via the devising and touring practices of a small ensemble, the research asks: how does, or how might utopia operate in the making of a theatre work? How might this provoke new ways of approaching the generation and composition of theatre? What does this reveal about the creation of utopia? Through an emphasis on method, the research rejects the need for theatre-makers to predetermine rational utopian content, arguing instead that idealistic and romantic desires might be harnessed and grappled with through the generative structures of making and performing, bringing once-vague ideals to greater consciousness over the course of a production. In Part One, chapters focus in turn on practices of dramaturgy, devising, and touring, developing utopian framings that both prompt a reconsideration of existing works and propose original generative methods. In doing so, it advocates for the value of the carnivalesque as a utopian dramaturgical tool; explores devising practice as an act of opening and closing spaces of contingency; and proposes several structuring principles and generative techniques that can mobilise ideals in touring theatre. In Part Two, a discussion of a practical research project – Travelling Show - explores how these different approaches can work together and thus significantly expands understandings about how utopia operates in theatre practice. The interdependence of dramaturgy, devising and touring, which constitutes Travelling Show's creative method, encounters utopia in both the structural properties of the work's dramaturgy and the openness of its devising process, while subjecting ideals to continual movement and encounter over the course of a tour. In its innovative investigation of the relationship between dramaturgy, devising, touring and utopia, the research uniquely demonstrates how utopia can be understood as at once ideal, unknown, and unfinished; operating in theatre practice as a dream of a better life that is ever-becoming

Stress and Coping in Youth With Spina Bifida: A Brief Longitudinal Study in a Summer Camp Setting

Introduction: It is well established that youth with chronic conditions experience elevated levels of stress; the manner in which they respond to or cope with this stress is likely to impact both health and psychosocial outcomes. The current study examined stress and coping in youth and young adults with spina bifida (SB) using the response to stress questionnaire-SB version (RSQ-SB; Connor-Smith et al., 2000). Methods: Data were collected as part of a camp-based psychosocial intervention for children (ages 7–13), adolescents (ages 14–19), and young adults (ages 20–38) with SB. Participants completed the RSQ-SB as well as questionnaires assessing demographics and condition severity. Data were collected prior to camp (T1) and 1 month (T2) after camp ended. Self-report data were collected from adolescents and young adults; parents of children and adolescents reported on their child’s stress and coping. Ratios of primary control coping, secondary control coping, disengagement coping, involuntary engagement, and involuntary disengagement coping were calculated. Descriptive statistics and t-tests were utilized to describe coping and stress responses and to determine potential change over time. T-tests were also used to compare youth and parent reported coping styles with those of youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and sickle cell disease (SCD). Associations between demographic/disease factors and coping styles were also examined. Results: Parent and youth report indicated that youth with SB tend to use primary control coping. Youth with SB use more primary control coping and less disengagement coping compared to youth with SCD and youth with T1D. Few significant changes in coping were found between T1 and T2. IQ and socioeconomic status were significantly associated with coping styles. Conclusion: Youth with SB use more primary control coping compared to other coping methods and as compared to other pediatric populations. Future studies should examine mechanisms by which primary control coping is advantageous for youth with SB. Future interventions should be more focused on promoting adaptive coping behaviors and be tailored to developmental age and access to resources

Are null segregants new combinations of heritable material and should they be regulated?

Through genome editing and other techniques of gene technology, it is possible to create a class of organism called null segregants. These genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are products of gene technology but are argued to have no lingering vestige of the technology after the segregation of chromosomes or deletion of insertions. From that viewpoint regulations are redundant because any unique potential for the use of gene technology to cause harm has also been removed. We tackle this question of international interest by reviewing the early history of the purpose of gene technology regulation. The active ingredients of techniques used for guided mutagenesis, e.g., site-directed nucleases, such as CRISPR/Cas, are promoted for having a lower potential per reaction to create a hazard. However, others see this as a desirable industrial property of the reagents that will lead to genome editing being used more and nullifying the promised hazard mitigation. The contest between views revolves around whether regulations could alter the risks in the responsible use of gene technology. We conclude that gene technology, even when used to make null segregants, has characteristics that make regulation a reasonable option for mitigating potential harm. Those characteristics are that it allows people to create more harm faster, even if it creates benefits as well; the potential for harm increases with increased use of the technique, but safety does not; and regulations can control harm scaling.publishedVersio

Advantages and disadvantages of reciprocal peer-to-peer interviewing

© 2020 The Author(s). All rights reserved. Originally published in Social Research Practice Volume 10: Winter 2021: https://the-sra.org.uk/common/Uploaded%20files/Social%20Research%20Practice%20Journal/social-research-practice-journal-issue-10-winter-2021.pdfThe advantages and disadvantages of reciprocal peer-to-peer interviewing as a data collection approachare presented in this paper. Reciprocal peer-to-peer interviewing is a research technique whereparticipants interview each other rather than a member of a research team. Reciprocal peer-to-peerinterviewing was undertaken in a small qualitative study between healthcare practitioners to reflect onwhether, and how, their breastfeeding experiences had influenced their professional practice. Four pairsof healthcare practitioners were recruited from an online Parenting Science Gang group. They interviewedeach other via online teleconferencing which also recorded the interviews. The interviews were analysedby volunteers from the same sub-group. Benefits of the technique included: ease of building rapportand finding common ground; open discussion of difficult topics; and freeing up research organiser time.Disadvantages were: difficulties clarifying unclear interview content; an inability to redirect the interview ifit goes off-topic; and unawareness of technology failure. Social researchers are advised to weigh up thebenefits of the technique against the risks, and possibly adapt the method.Peer reviewe

Clean Heat and Energy Efficiency Workforce Assessment

Abstract - To meet the Scottish Government’s ambitious climate change targets, there will need to be a significant increase in the deployment of energy efficiency and low carbon heat measures in domestic and non-domestic buildings in the next decade. To deliver this, the supply chain in Scotland needs to be fit-for-purpose in terms of having the capacity and skills to deliver this scale of technology deployment. This research explores current and future workforce capabilities around energy efficiency and low carbon heat technologies. It reviews the current capabilities and skills along the supply chain of the energy efficiency and low carbon heating technologies in Scotland, identifies the skills gaps and analyses the potential options to fill these gaps to meet the targets set out in the Heat in Buildings Strategy

Impact investments: a call for (re)orientation

Practitioners and academics have been using different terms to describe investments in the sustainability context. The latest inflationary term is impact investments—investments that focus on real-world changes in terms of solving social challenges and/or mitigating ecological degradation. At the core of this definition is an emphasis on transformational changes. However, the term impact investment is often used interchangeably for any investment that incorporates environmental, social, and governance (ESG) aspects. In the latter instance, achieving transformational change is not the main purpose of such investments, which therefore carries the risk of impact washing (akin to “green washing”). To offer (re-)orientation from an academic perspective, we derive a new typology of sustainable investments. This typology delivers a precise definition of what impact investments are and what they should cover. As one central contribution, we propose distinguishing between impact-aligned investments and impact-generating investments. Based on these insights, we hope to lay the foundation for future research and debates in the field of impact investing by practitioners, policymakers, and academics alike

CGRP, adrenomedullin and adrenomedullin 2 display endogenous GPCR agonist bias in primary human cardiovascular cells.

Agonist bias occurs when different ligands produce distinct signalling outputs when acting at the same receptor. However, its physiological relevance is not always clear. Using primary human cells and gene editing techniques, we demonstrate endogenous agonist bias with physiological consequences for the calcitonin receptor-like receptor, CLR. By switching the receptor-activity modifying protein (RAMP) associated with CLR we can "re-route" the physiological pathways activated by endogenous agonists calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), adrenomedullin (AM) and adrenomedullin 2 (AM2). AM2 promotes calcium-mediated nitric oxide signalling whereas CGRP and AM show pro-proliferative effects in cardiovascular cells, thus providing a rationale for the expression of the three peptides. CLR-based agonist bias occurs naturally in human cells and has a fundamental purpose for its existence. We anticipate this will be a starting point for more studies into RAMP function in native environments and their importance in endogenous GPCR signalling

Predictive response-relevant clustering of expression data provides insights into disease processes

This article describes and illustrates a novel method of microarray data analysis that couples model-based clustering and binary classification to form clusters of ;response-relevant' genes; that is, genes that are informative when discriminating between the different values of the response. Predictions are subsequently made using an appropriate statistical summary of each gene cluster, which we call the ;meta-covariate' representation of the cluster, in a probit regression model. We first illustrate this method by analysing a leukaemia expression dataset, before focusing closely on the meta-covariate analysis of a renal gene expression dataset in a rat model of salt-sensitive hypertension. We explore the biological insights provided by our analysis of these data. In particular, we identify a highly influential cluster of 13 genes-including three transcription factors (Arntl, Bhlhe41 and Npas2)-that is implicated as being protective against hypertension in response to increased dietary sodium. Functional and canonical pathway analysis of this cluster using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis implicated transcriptional activation and circadian rhythm signalling, respectively. Although we illustrate our method using only expression data, the method is applicable to any high-dimensional datasets

Objectively measured physical activity, sedentary behaviour and all-cause mortality in older men: does volume of activity matter more than pattern of accumulation?

OBJECTIVES: To understand how device-measured sedentary behaviour and physical activity are related to all-cause mortality in older men, an age group with high levels of inactivity and sedentary behaviour. METHODS: Prospective population-based cohort study of men recruited from 24 UK General Practices in 1978-1980. In 2010-2012, 3137 surviving men were invited to a follow-up, 1655 (aged 71-92 years) agreed. Nurses measured height and weight, men completed health and demographic questionnaires and wore an ActiGraph GT3x accelerometer. All-cause mortality was collected through National Health Service central registers up to 1 June 2016. RESULTS: After median 5.0 years' follow-up, 194 deaths occurred in 1181 men without pre-existing cardiovascular disease. For each additional 30 min in sedentary behaviour, or light physical activity (LIPA), or 10 min in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), HRs for mortality were 1.17 (95% CI 1.10 to 1.25), 0.83 (95% CI 0.77 to 0.90) and 0.90 (95% CI 0.84 to 0.96), respectively. Adjustments for confounders did not meaningfully change estimates. Only LIPA remained significant on mutual adjustment for all intensities. The HR for accumulating 150 min MVPA/week in sporadic minutes (achieved by 66% of men) was 0.59 (95% CI 0.43 to 0.81) and 0.58 (95% CI 0.33 to 1.00) for accumulating 150 min MVPA/week in bouts lasting ≥10 min (achieved by 16% of men). Sedentary breaks were not associated with mortality. CONCLUSIONS: In older men, all activities (of light intensity upwards) were beneficial and accumulation of activity in bouts ≥10 min did not appear important beyond total volume of activity. Findings can inform physical activity guidelines for older adults