Drugs-related death soon after hospital discharge among drug treatment clients in Scotland:record linkage, validation and investigation of risk factors.

We validate that the 28 days after hospital-discharge are high-risk for drugs-related death (DRD) among drug users in Scotland and investigate key risk-factors for DRDs soon after hospital-discharge. Using data from an anonymous linkage of hospitalisation and death records to the Scottish Drugs Misuse Database (SDMD), including over 98,000 individuals registered for drug treatment during 1 April 1996 to 31 March 2010 with 705,538 person-years, 173,107 hospital-stays, and 2,523 DRDs. Time-at-risk of DRD was categorised as: during hospitalization, within 28 days, 29-90 days, 91 days-1 year, >1 year since most recent hospital discharge versus 'never admitted'. Factors of interest were: having ever injected, misuse of alcohol, length of hospital-stay (0-1 versus 2+ days), and main discharge-diagnosis. We confirm SDMD clients' high DRD-rate soon after hospital-discharge in 2006-2010. DRD-rate in the 28 days after hospital-discharge did not vary by length of hospital-stay but was significantly higher for clients who had ever-injected versus otherwise. Three leading discharge-diagnoses accounted for only 150/290 DRDs in the 28 days after hospital-discharge, but ever-injectors for 222/290. Hospital-discharge remains a period of increased DRD-vulnerability in 2006-2010, as in 1996-2006, especially for those with a history of injecting

Immigration Policy Recommendations for the Malaysian Government

Although migrant workers in Malaysia account for a large proportion of the workforce, the Malaysian government is criticised as facilitators of their abuse. This has placed a significant strain on the Malaysian government’s relationships with migrant workers’ origin countries. In order to improve these important political relationships and retain migrant workers, the Malaysian government should consider immigration policy reforms that will improve the treatment of migrant workers. One key recommendation includes providing an impartial data source on migrant workers by creating a new migrant research subdivision in the Department of Statistics. The current Migration Survey Report is irregular and insufficient and Malaysian media is generally prejudiced against migrant workers. Another useful recommendation is to provide migrant workers with leaflets (in different languages and in simple terms) on their labour rights. This should be distributed at the border as well as online to ensure that migrant workers are entering the country aware of their rights and how to enforce them. This would help prevent common exploitative practices like passport retention. Foreign domestic workers should be provided with a separate guidebook as their labour situation is significantly different from typical migrant workers and more vulnerable. Nevertheless, exploitation often begins prior to arrival through recruitment agencies via debt bondage and forced labour situations. The Malaysian government should seek to diversify away from these agencies towards memorandum of understandings: a cheaper and better regulated alternative to ensure migrant workers’ safety

Anthropogenic noise reduces avian feeding efficiency and increases vigilance along an urban–rural gradient regardless of species’ tolerances to urbanisation

Anthropogenic noise can adversely impact urban bird populations by interfering with vocal communication. Less research has addressed if anthropogenic noise masks the adventitious sounds that birds use to aid predator detection, which may lead to increased vigilance and reduced feeding efficiency. We test this hypothesis using a controlled playback experiment along an urban–rural gradient in Sheffield (UK). We also test the related predictions that anthropogenic noise has the greatest impacts on vigilance and feeding efficiency in rural populations, and on species that are more sensitive to urbanisation. We focus on six passerines, in order from most to least urbanised (based on how urbanisation influences population densities): blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus, robin Erithacus rubeculla, great tit Parus major, chaffinch Fringilla coelebs, coal tit Periparus ater and nuthatch Sitta europaea. We used play‐back of anthropogenic urban noise and a control treatment at 46 feeding stations located along the urban–rural gradient. We assess impacts on willingness to visit feeders, feeding and vigilance rates. Exposure to anthropogenic noise reduced visit rates to supplementary feeding stations, reduced feeding rates and increased vigilance. Birds at more urban sites exhibit less marked treatment induced reductions in feeding rates, suggesting that urban populations may be partially habituated or adapted to noisy environments. There was no evidence, however, that more urbanised species were less sensitive to the impacts of noise on any response variable. Our results support the adventitious sound masking hypothesis. Urban noise may thus interfere with the ability of birds to detect predators, reducing their willingness to use food rich environments and increase vigilance rates resulting in reduced feeding rates. These adverse impacts may compromise the quality of otherwise suitable foraging habitats in noisy urban areas. They are likely to be widespread as they arise in a range of species including common urban birds

Anthropogenic accidental dwelling fire : incident distribution, theory and the Fire and Rescue Service

Over the past decade the Fire & Rescue Service (FRS) has attended an average of 67,000 residential dwelling fires a year, resulting in an annual average of 14,000 casualties and 450 deaths in the UK (DCLG, 2007). Anthropogenic Accidental Dwelling Fire (AADF) is not a random phenomenon, and through the use of spatial and temporal pattern analysis, it can be shown to be disproportionately concentrated in areas that share common social, economic and environmental characteristics. Developing robust theory and methodology will improve the understanding of the nature of the problem and the ability to effectively target resources to areas of greatest need. This thesis presents the development of a new theoretical model of Anthropogenic Accidental Dwelling Fire incidence, bridging the theory gap in the existing research literature. The theoretical model developed identifies the component factors of potential domestic activity fire risk and the key role of trigger events, by act or omission, that combine to significantly increase the risk of fire within a dwelling. Spatial and temporal analysis of the distribution of over 17,000 individual AADF incidents, from the Greater Manchester area, was conducted utilising the nationally comprehensive and consistent ward level Indices of Deprivation 2000 (IMD) and the Enumeration District (ED) level SuperProfiles geodemographic typology. The analysis revealed statistically significant variation in the profile of incident distribution, operationally valuable to the FRS and of major policy importance. An AADF Routine Activities Time Classification was produced and an analytical methodology developed to derive temporal profiles for incidents across both area characteristic classifications and ignition categories. The AADF spatial-temporal ignition profiles were shown to vary significantly, providing valuable new empirical evidence in support of the implementation of the theoretical model and the utilisation of the methodology developed, informing both strategic policy and service delivery management of a modernising Fire & Rescue Service. A comprehensive national survey of FRS was undertaken and the results are critically reviewed, providing a snap shot of the data, systems, analysis and skills of the FRS, exploring the potential capacity of the organisation to utilise theory based research with evidence lead targeting and resource allocation. A practical application of the use of the IMD as a proxy for Fire & Rescue Service demand is then developed and tested, addressing a perverse incentive within the Standard Spending Assessment used to fund the FRS. A simple weighted model was over fitted to the known incident distribution of the case study area of Greater Manchester. The IMD group weightings derived were then extrapolated to national population distributions within IMD classes and the SSA recalculated. Finally the principal findings of the research are presented, the outcomes critically reviewed, policy implications discussed and recommendations made

Cell Proliferation and Glucose Transport: The Intracellular Signal Transduction Pathways that Mediate the Early Phase of Growth Factor-Stimulated Glucose Transport

Growth factors stimulate glucose transport; the increase in the rate is biphasic, with the early phase occurring immediately and lasting up to two hours. 3T3-L1 fibroblasts are a murine cell line which express a single facilitative monosaccharide transporter, Glut1. Insulin and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) stimulate cell proliferation in 3T3-L1 fibroblasts. These growth factors and the tumour promoter, 4beta-phorbol 12-myristate, 13-acetate (PMA), all stimulate 2-deoxyglucose uptake, in a similar manner. These effects are not additive, so the effects of these ligands on the rate of glucose transport may be mediated by a similar signal transduction pathway. The role of sn-1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG) and protein kinase C (PKC) in the early phase of insulin-, PDGF- and PMA-stimulated glucose transport was examined in 3T3-L1 fibroblasts. Insulin has no effect on either DAG accumulation or PKC activity, so neither DAG nor PKC is necessary for insulin-stimulated glucose transport. PDGF stimulates both DAG accumulation and PKC activity; however, PDGF-stimulated glucose transport is unaffected by the down-regulation or the inhibition of PKC, so PKC is not necessary for PDGF-stimulated glucose transport. PMA also stimulates both DAG accumulation and PKC activity, and PMA-stimulated glucose transport is abolished by the down-regulation and the inhibition of PKC, so PKC is necessary for PMA-stimulated glucose transport. Thus, a signal transduction pathway involving PKC is not necessary for the early phase of insulin- or PDGF-stimulated glucose transport, but it is necessary for the early phase of PMA-stimulated glucose transport. The role of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MARK) in the early phase of insulin-, PDGF- and PMA-stimulated glucose transport was also examined in 3T3-L1 fibroblasts. Insulin, PDGF and PMA stimulate MAPK activity with the same dependancy on PKC as for the increase in the rate of glucose transport. In addition, insulin-, PDGF- and PMA-stimulated activation of MAPK precedes the increase in the rate of glucose transport. Therefore, given that the activation of MAPK and the increase in the rate of glucose transport have the same dependency on PKC, and that the activation of MAPK precedes the increase in the rate of glucose transport, it is possible that the early phase of growth factor-stimulated glucose transport is mediated by a signal transduction pathway involving MAPK in 3T3-L1 fibroblasts. Xenopus laevis oocytes also only express Glut1. Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) stimulates both glucose transport and MAPK activity in X. laevis oocytes. Again, the activation of MAPK precedes the increase in the rate of glucose transport. In addition, the microinjection into X laevis oocytes of recombinant p42mapk, purified MAPK kinase (MAPKK) or p39mos fusion protein, results in an increase in the rate of glucose transport. Since p39mos activates MAPKK, which in turn activates MAPK, it seems that components of a signal transduction pathway involving MAPK are able to stimulate glucose transport in X. laevis oocytes. Furthermore, IGF-I-stimulated glucose transport is inhibited by the microinjection of CLIOO, a protein tyrosine/ threonine phosphatase that is specific for MAPK. Therefore, given that IGF-I stimulates both glucose transport and MAPK activity, that components of a signal transduction pathway involving MAPK also stimulate glucose transport, and that inhibition of MAPK activity abolishes IGF-I-stimulated glucose transport, it is likely that IGF-I-stimulated glucose transport is mediated by a signal transduction pathway involving MAPK in X. laevis oocytes. The insulin and IGF-I receptors are tyrosine protein kinases of a similar structure, and either ligand can bind to either receptor, so it is likely that insulin- and IGF-I- stimulated glucose transport are mediated by a similar signal transduction pathway. Therefore, given that it is possible that the early phase of growth factor-stimulated glucose transport is mediated by a signal transduction pathway involving MAPK in 3T3-L1 fibroblasts, that it is likely that IGF-I-stimulated glucose transport is mediated by a signal transduction pathway involving MAPK in X. laevis oocytes, and that it is likely that insulin- and IGF-I-stimulated glucose transport are mediated by a similar signal transduction pathway, it seems that the early phase of insulin-stimulated glucose transport in 3T3-L1 fibroblasts is, in fact, mediated by a pathway involving MAPK. Furthermore, PDGF, which also binds to a tyrosine protein kinase receptor, has similar effects to insulin on the rate of glucose transport and the activation of MAPK in 3T3-L1 fibroblasts. Therefore, it is also likely that the early phase of PDGF-stimulated glucose transport is also mediated by a signal transduction pathway involving MAPK. This thesis concludes that the early phase of growth factor-stimulated glucose transport is mediated by a signal transduction pathway involving MAPK

Criminal sentencing by preferred numbers

Criminal sentencing is a complex cognitive activity often performed by the unaided mind under suboptimal conditions. As such, sentencers may not behave according to policy, guidelines and training. We analyzed the distribution of sentences meted out in one year in two different jurisdictions (i.e., England and Wales, and New South Wales, Australia). We reveal that sentencers prefer certain numbers when meting out sentence lengths (in custody and community service) and amounts (for fines/compensation). These ‘common doses’ accounted for over 90% of sentences in each jurisdiction. The size of these doses increased as sentences became more severe, and doses followed a logarithmic pattern. These findings are compatible with psychological research on preferred numbers and are reminiscent of Weber’s and Fechner’s laws. Our findings run contrary to arguments against efforts to reduce judicial discretion, and potentially undermine the notion of individualized justice, as well as raise questions about the (cost) effectiveness of sentencing

Criminal Sentencing by Preferred Numbers

Criminal sentencing is a complex cognitive activity often performed by the unaided mind under suboptimal conditions. As such, sentencers may not behave according to policy, guidelines and training. We analyzed the distribution of sentences meted out in one year in two different jurisdictions (i.e., England and Wales, and New South Wales, Australia). We reveal that sentencers prefer certain numbers when meting out sentence lengths (in custody and community service) and amounts (for fines/compensation). These ‘common doses’ accounted for over 90% of sentences in each jurisdiction. The size of these doses increased as sentences became more severe, and doses followed a logarithmic pattern. Our findings are compatible with psychological research on preferred numbers and are reminiscent of Weber’s and Fechner’s laws. The findings run contrary to arguments against efforts to reduce judicial discretion, and potentially undermine the notion of individualized justice, as well as raise questions about the (cost) effectiveness of sentencing